Our Sustainable Development and Social Enterprise Lead Nicolas Nino-Ramirez, has been reflecting on the steps we have taken to respect our environment and minimise our impact on the planet 

Camphill School Aberdeen has been at the forefront of sustainable practices for more than 80 years. We carefully plan and regularly implement new measures across our three campuses to ensure we are doing everything we can to live a carbon-negative life.  

Last year we formed our Sustainability Action Group, to tackle climate change, striving for a zero-waste/circular economy culture and promoting health and wellbeing. This group, headed by Nicolas aims for Camphill School Aberdeen to journey to net-zero by 2047 (25 years).

Below are a few of the key measures we’ve taken on this journey.

Mutual care and respect for each other and the environment

Our unique approach integrates education, lifelong learning, care, crafts, therapy and land with the aim of reaching each person’s fullest potential. Caring for the land and incorporating sustainable resources is a core Camphill value.

Since the very start of the Camphill movement, ecology and care for the environment has been at the heart of our community. We are incredibly proud that our charity has been recognised as an eco-school as we strive to become one of the greenest organisations in this part of Scotland.

While we have taken great strides in operating in a more sustainable way, our eco-journey continues to evolve every year.

Organic and Biodynamic farm

With the support of the whole community, we run sustainable organic gardens and farms on over our three Estates (50-hectare) which use organic and biodynamic practices. The extensive grounds produce seasonal fruit and vegetables in abundance all while helping develop the skills and confidence of our young people who work on it. Not only does our farm produce a range of produce for residents, but we also donate excess to local food larders.

If we were to buy all of our food from a supermarket to feed hundreds of pupils and staff every day we’d have a huge amount of packaging left over. By growing our own produce, ordering in bulk and efficiently organising distribution, we have significantly reduced our emissions, and prevented numerous delivery lorries coming to the houses several times weekly.

We have been so successful in producing our own foods on the organic farm that we now sell the surplus in our own campus refillery and zero waste shop FRUVER.

Refillery and zero waste shop

FRUVER, our refillery shop, is stocked with produce from our garden and farm as well as other food items supplied by our wholesalers. To tackle any waste we have collaborated with other organisations such as CFINE and The Haven in Stonehaven and donated surplus food and produce from our garden to them. So far this year we have prevented 1.19 tonnes of waste by facilitating our refillery shop.

Our food deliveries on the estate are carried out by our young residents who work in the store with the help of e-cargo bikes and electric sack trolleys. This way of delivering produce throughout the estate has reduced our annual carbon emissions on campus by 1.68tCO2e pa.

The school has also recently purchased an electric car which has reduced emissions by 70% (3.4tCO2e pa) compared to the previous petrol version and reduced running costs by 70%.

We are set to expand our electric fleet with the addition of an electric cargo van to support the development of our Social Enterprise model.

Servicing and upcycling in our workshop

For the last few years, we have been running an onsite bike repair workshop where our students repair old bikes, donated or brought for repair by other organisations, including Police Scotland. Once reconditioned they are sent to other charities in need such as Stella’s Voice where they are shipped to orphans in Moldova to help them get to school and social clubs, as well as gifted locally to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Not only are our students helping other young people, but they are also learning lifelong skills.

This year we have recovered 1.28 tonnes of bicycle waste and repurposed them either for parts or repaired entirely.

Everyone has a meaningful part to play to protect our planet and create a more resilient future for us all. We are committed to living a carbon-negative life and will continually advocate for our planet, to ensure the world is a better place for our future young people. There are many things you or your organisation can do to become more sustainable, and what better time to begin than in the spotlight of COP 27.

Here are just a few specifics that are on our Carbon Reduction Operational Plan to inspire you to look at what you can do on your journey to net zero;

• Reduce vehicle fleet size by 50% and phase out diesel/petrol vehicles, replacing with ZEVs by 2030, in line with Scottish Government’s revised Climate Change Plan.
• Increase bike hire scheme by 50% by 2025 for young people, staff and volunteers, saving 13.4tCO2 pa. Upcycle 200 bikes per year for deprived local communities.
• Create public zero-waste refillery store in 2023 -increase public access to local, seasonal produce; reduce food miles and plastic packaging; promote reuse/recycling, circular economy
• Reduce building energy use by 30% in 10 years.
• Gardens and farm water needs to be fully met by rainwater by 2025.
• New buildings/retrofit to focus on sustainability e.g. air-tight building envelopes (insulation, triple-glazing), sustainable heating systems, low/negative carbon materials.
• Phasing out oil and gas heating from 2024.