Scotland's colleges have an important role to play in promoting awareness and enabling meaningful action on climate change amongst our students and within our communities.
Greenwashing dominated discussion around the recently-held COP28 in the UAE, where the world’s leaders gathered in an effort to drive action on climate change across the globe. Public trust in environmental claims made by organisations remains "extremely low" according to European Commission research published this year, which found that more than 53% of the claims made on products and services contain vague, misleading, or unfounded information on sustainability.
Glasgow Kelvin College’s student-led project, Fighting Fast Fashion, was recently honoured with a coveted Green Gown Award. The prestigious awards recognise real initiatives undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK and Ireland to help push sustainability higher up the educational agenda.
Judges praised the "brave" project which engaged the college, schools, and the wider community through skills development and initiatives including sustainable fashion workshops, and a swap shop. They said it breaks stigmas around second-hand clothing and pushes the boundaries of what’s possible within a circular economy through reuse, and upcycling, and by disseminating the message across multiple groups. We are immensely proud of our students’ achievements and progress on a vital issue in the global sustainability picture, but we also know so much more is needed.
It has been widely publicised that funding is one of the most pressing issues for Scotland’s college sector, and more Scottish Government investment is essential if we are to continue delivering the skills and training necessary to build the climate-conscious workforce of the future.
If the Scottish Government is serious about achieving net zero, it needs an informed and motivated workforce that can deliver it, including the designers, skilled craftspeople and allied professionals required for a new, growing, and sustainable fashion industry. The same goes across other industries including engineering, automotive, healthcare, construction, and more.
Scotland’s colleges are ready to play their part in building these sustainable industries.
It would be easy for sustainability initiatives to be abandoned or pushed down the pecking order in such challenging economic times, but that is not an option as the world faces up to the potentially catastrophic impact of climate change.
Colleges are playing their part by putting sustainability at the top of their agenda. Glasgow Kelvin College is committed to supporting projects such as Fighting Fast Fashion and driving forward our pioneering Green Academy. We are investing all we can to create a model of best practice in delivering the green curriculum of the future. Scotland’s colleges have the appetite to action real and meaningful impact, but they need support and investment to deliver.
There is no "greenwashing" in Scotland’s colleges. The sector must be enabled by Scottish Government investment to deliver meaningful change in Scotland.
Derek Smeall is Principal at Glasgow Kelvin College
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