Eco-Schools
Welcome to Eco-Schools Scotland
The whole school, pupil-led approach to Learning for Sustainability
What is Eco-Schools?
Eco-Schools is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world with 19.5 million children, young people and educators engaged worldwide in 67 different countries.
Eco-Schools is operated internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful in Scotland.
Eco-Schools has common structural features across all operating countries. The Seven Elements makes up the core of all Eco-Schools programmes across the world.
Completing a Green Flag Application is recognised by the Green Flag Award - a visible indication of your school's commitment to Learning for Sustainability and an internationally recognised accreditation for excellence in sustainable education.
Coronavirus Update
Given the current situation regarding school closures we recognise this will have an effect on your ability to send in your evidence or complete actions you had planned.
If you don't think you will be able to submit to your normal time frame due to the current Covid-19 outbreak, please let us know and we will keep your Award valid until such time as schools are running normally. We will contact you again then to reassess your application deadline.
However if you are able to send in evidence, the Eco-Schools team are still working and will assess anything that you submit via the online application process.
We appreciate your ongoing support for our activities and wish you all the best at this difficult time.
If you have any questions at all, please get in touch.
Take care,
Education & Learning Team at Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Coronavirus Update | Home Learning
As schools close for an indefinite period, we're adapting some of our programmes, such as Eco-Schools, Climate Ready Classrooms, Pocket Garden and Young Reporters to be accessible for home learning during these unprecedented times.
Click on the "Eco-Schools at home" logo for more information and please keep checking back over the next few days and weeks as we will be uploading resources as and when they're ready.
The Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised achievement for schools and nurseries committed to Learning for Sustainability. Flags can be seen flying outside our schools all over Scotland.
In order to achieve a Green Flag Award, we expect you to take action on three of our Ten Topics and that you fufill our Award Criteria. Our criteria is based on the Seven Elements, the core of the Eco-Schools programme.
Learn more by clicking on the Green Flag.
The Seven Elements
The Green Flag Award is based on the Seven Elements, the core of the Eco-Schools programme in every participating country.
The application for a Green Flag Award is done solely online, this ensures that you provide sufficient evidence for each of the Seven Elements and can achieve you Green Flag Award. Each Element builds the framework of our Award Criteria.
Ten Topics
During your Green Flag Application you choose to work on three of the Ten Topics.
Litter is a mandatory topic and all applications must include at least three actions per topic. The other topics that can be selected are;
Biodiversity | Energy | Food and the Environment | Global Citizenship | Health and Wellbeing | School Grounds | Transport | Waste Minimisation | Water
As Eco-Schools is a pupil-led programme, each topic is chosen by the Eco-Committee.
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)
Keep Scotland Beautiful is a member organisation of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) delivering the Eco-Schools, Wrigley's Litter Less and Young Reporters programmes in Scotland.
Formed in 1981, the Foundation for Environmental Education is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education. FEE's mission is to engage and empower people through education in collaboration with members and partners worldwide. FEE through its mission of fostering awareness, knowledge, participation, commitment, skills, actions and creativity on the environment and on sustainable development, shares the core values behind the Sustainable Development Goals.
Eco-Schools was initiated by FEE in 1993, and is now offered by FEE member organisations in 67 countries.
We are grateful for the continued support of the Scottish Government as we deliver Eco-Schools Scotland.
