Fircroft College

A Small college with big ambitions: Our green pledge

Fircroft college is one of the smallest colleges in England and one of only two residential colleges left in the FE landscape. We have big ambitions however in our commitment to social and climate/environmental justice which we see as fundamentally interlinked and inter-related.

We were the first college in England to declare a climate emergency and our ambitions are manifested in our college wide green pledge which tells the world what we are committed to delivering under the areas of sustainable learning, sustainable spaces, sustainable living and sustainable people, partners, and communities.

Our climate action plan reflects our four green pledge areas. Our cross college green team which includes students ensures our plans and actions are understood across the college.

In our last engagement survey in 2023, 100% of staff agreed that they understood the college’s focus and aims on green/sustainability and the contribution they make to it.

Top 3 Learnings

1. Our green pledge has helped us to build a whole college community committed to sustainability.
2. Allowing our students and staff to explore their climate joy has benefited the college in unexpected ways.
3. Celebrating the big and small wins as you go along helps to maintain momentum.