Children, Families & Schools Committee
Agenda Item 56(a)
Subject: Public Involvement - Petitions
Date of meeting: 29 February 2024
Ward(s) affected: All
1.1 To receive any petitions submitted directly to Democratic Services or any e-Petition submitted via the council’s website.
2.1 That the committee responds to the petition either by noting it or where it is considered more appropriate, calls for an officer report on the matter.
3.1 To receive the following petition signed by 296 people at the time of publication:
(1) Andy Richbell - Our City Our World
Statement:
We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to maintain
the present levels of funding for the school environmental
education budget for 2024-25.
Justification:
Brighton & Hove City Council declared a climate emergency and
has pledged to be Carbon Neutral by 2030.
Large scale surveys in the city show that 90% of young people, 97% of parent/carers and 98% of teachers in Brighton & Hove think it’s very important or vitally important to learn about climate change in school. The majority of young people are worried or very worried about climate change and less than half of young people are excited by the future.
Our City Our World (managed through the council’s environmental education provision) addresses the above by working to ensure that climate change and sustainability is integrated into all curriculum areas, all children have regular access to nature, all schools takes action to lower their emissions and empower young people to be changemakers and have hope for the future.
As we are experiencing more severe weather events each year, have a significant mental health crisis in schools and a national shortage of green skills, we need to be strengthening our sustainability approach in schools, not removing it.