Cambridge to champion sustainability at UK’s Festival of Education

The thirteenth annual Festival of Education will take place on 6-7 July 2023 at Wellington College in Berkshire, UK, with Cambridge leading the sustainability agenda as official Festival partner.

Our first global director of climate education, Christine Özden, reinforces the importance of our role as a global educator, saying: "The climate emergency is one of the most important global issues of our time and we have a responsibility and the capability to be part of the solution. We are looking at education for sustainability and climate, developing the knowledge, skills and global thinking to prepare learners for a different kind of future."

There is a fundamental need to understand, appreciate, value and protect the natural world in order to build climate resilience and address the climate emergency.

Inspiring Sustainability Hub

Over 5,000 teachers and school leaders attend the Festival of Education each year. In 2023, the Cambridge Sustainability Hub, to be located at the heart of the festival site, will be an inspiring place for festival goers to discover ways to embed sustainability themes across their curriculum and teaching practice. The Hub will be filled with charities and non-governmental organisations with information for schools of ways to bring sustainability and climate education to life for students and teachers. It’s only the second year that sustainability has been a feature of the Festival, following a campaign by the charity Sustainability and Environmental Education (SEEd).

The Festival has a packed programme of keynotes speeches, panel discussions and sessions; the first day will include actor Eddie Izzard and head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman. On day two, the programme will feature sustainability-themed presentations and panel discussions which will complement our Sustainability Hub, and cover the key themes of implanting sustainability within education programmes. Chris Packham, naturalist, television presenter, photographer and author will be taking part. Full details of the programme will be announced later this month.

Education for sustainability and climate 

We are committed to investigating the opportunities of supporting a curriculum that helps young people understand environmental issues and prepares them for the green jobs of the future. Our work on curriculum development, like the Natural History GCSE, and a wide list of published book titles present a unique, powerful opportunity to create positive change.

How to get involved 

To get tickets, visit the Festival of Education website. There is also the opportunity for schools and colleges to apply for free tickets; the application deadline is 22 May 2023.

And sign-up to our View e-newsletter for further details about the Festival of Education and our sustainability programme, and to hear about all our innovations in education.