Sustainability and Health for schools
Promoting environmental sustainability in schools supports students’ physical, mental and social wellbeing today, while helping to build a healthier future for them and their communities.
This health and wellbeing priority focuses on actions that reduce environmental impact, many of which also support health and wellbeing, now and into the future. It also includes adapting to climate change and minimising its associated health impacts. Together, these actions strengthen the resilience of the whole school community.
This priority helps to bring together existing sustainability and health actions. It complements the Resource Smart Schools program.
Sustainability and Health Action Table
This action table gives an example of how the Healthy Places Framework can be applied to Sustainability and Health in schools.
Action area | Leadership and Commitment | Teaching & Learning | Physical Environment | Culture | Staff Wellbeing | Families & Communitiy Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goal | There is strong leadership support and a shared commitment to a whole-school approach to sustainability and health. | Students learn how sustainability actions can support health and wellbeing and how to minimise the health impacts of climate change. | The physical environment supports sustainability actions, including adapting to climate change. | The school fosters attitudes, behaviours and values that promote sustainability actions. | Staff have the resources and support they need to take sustainability actions that benefit their health and wellbeing and minimise effects of climate change. | The school engages, partners and collaborates with families and community organisations to support sustainability actions. |
Example Actions | Incorporate student voice, agency and leadership in the school’s approach to sustainability and health. Incorporate climate change adaptation in the school’s Emergency Management Plan by identifying local climate-related risks and outlining strategies to prevent harm and build resilience. | Provide a variety of learning experiences to demonstrate how sustainability actions can benefit health and wellbeing. Provide developmentally-appropriate learning experiences that build students’ understanding of climate related health impacts and ways to minimise them. | Manage the school’s built and natural spaces to minimise the effects of climate change and protect health and wellbeing. Use the school’s physical environment to create opportunities to connect with nature, fostering environmental awareness and stewardship while supporting mental health. | Encourage and champion sustainability actions including: • active travel • adapting to climate change • connecting to nature • eating more plants • reducing and recycling waste • using less energy. Celebrate and promote cultural practices that support sustainability actions. | Promote mental health and wellbeing support to those impacted by climate change, including climate anxiety and natural disasters. | Provide opportunities for families to be involved in school sustainability activities. Engage with relevant health services and community organisations to support sustainability actions. |
Join today to see the full list of suggested actions, examples in practice and links to supporting programs and resources as outlined in the Sustainability and Health Whole-School Action Guide.
The Health and Wellbeing Priorities
The Healthy Places Framework helps schools support all health and wellbeing priorities through a set of action guides. Six health and wellbeing priorities areas each have their own guide, and a flexible action guide is also available for any health area while still following the Framework.
