Published on 15. July 2022
The second year of makingAchange CO2accounting project began in October 2021 with a kick-off call for teachers. Teachers from the previous project year had the opportunity to get to know new teachers participating in the project. The first workshops, which included an introduction to the ‘ClimCalc’ accounting tool and an initial Q&A session with the project team, took place in November and December. In January 2022, pupils and teachers took part in another workshop focussing on greenhouse gas reduction, measures and strategies. In spring, a mobility survey was conducted at the schools under the leadership of Graz University of Technology. Despite technical difficulties, satisfactory response rates were achieved thanks to the efforts of teachers and pupils. The project was concluded at the end of May and beginning of June with the presentation of the certificates and a project reflection. Two presentations were particularly exciting, in which four schools gave insights into their work and presented their completed accounts. In total, 14 schools supervised by BOKU and eight schools supervised by Graz University of Technology successfully participated in the CO₂ accounting project in the 2021/22 school year.2-Bilanzierung teilgenommen. Davon haben acht (BOKU) und fünf (TU Graz) bereits im letzten Schuljahr im Rahmen von makingAchange die CO2-Bilanzierung durchgeführt. Der Großteil der 22 Bilanzierer*innenteams hatte mit Ende der Projektlaufzeit eine vollständige Treibhausbilanz ihrer Schule.
The map above provides an insight into the geographical location of the makingAchange schools in the format of CO2-accounting.
Some schools have continued their involvement beyond the project. The BG Blumenstraße from Vorarlberg, for example, has calculated potential savings based on its greenhouse gas balance, which can be seen in the following graphic.
The school writes in its annual report:
Collecting the data has shown that we naturally have a lot in our own hands in this regard, whether in terms of our mobility or our eating habits. However, it has also become very clear that the savings targets are not possible without outside help. Electricity and heating systems offer potential savings of over 200 tonnes of CO2 per year. In order to achieve this, we are dependent on the help of the responsible authorities - the federal government as the building owner, but also the state and the city. It is urgently necessary for all authorities to pull together and, if possible, for all schools, in fact all public buildings, to undergo a ‘sustainability programme’. After all, the Paris Climate Agreement is also about political agreements and commitments - we are just a small cog in the wheel, but we are happy to play our part when it comes to implementing the targets on a grand scale.
The call for applications for the next and final project year has been open since the beginning of May. Applications are still possible until 22 July 2022. By setting up an online course in autumn, the aim is to enable numerous other Austrian schools to draw up a carbon footprint even after the end of the project period. More details on the process and registration for the next school year can be found at https://makingachange.ccca.ac.at/ to read.
The BOKU project team would like to thank the committed students and teachers for the exciting project year and looks forward to another successful year of CO2-accounting within the framework of makingAchange.
