Local schools battle it out to create carbon saving initiatives

Looking at the green behind the scenes at our compound outside Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, two groups of students from John Colet School in Wendover, and Waddesdon C of E School in Waddesdon, have been battling it out to develop their own carbon saving initiative.

With awards up for grabs, and being supported by our mentors, the aim was for our students to develop a product which has the capabilities to drive carbon savings across the C23 programme.

To kick-start the project, the select group of students from each of the schools were invited down to our compound for a ‘meet your mentor’ session. Throughout the presentations, the students got to know their mentors across all functions that operate within the C23 programme such as waste management, carbon, design, earthworks, and the environment. Many of our mentors spoke about the green initiatives that we have introduced across the HS2 project, highlighting the process and investigations that follow when it comes to considering implementation and return on investment.

Working with their mentors across six weeks allowed ideas to flourish - or to be revised - under their guidance and expertise to determine the best solution output to reduce our carbon impact. With a focus on carbon monitoring systems, John Colet School developed a CO2 monitoring system to be positioned at site entrances, measuring the levels over time based on the data, and providing strategies for further improvements.

Instead of looking at ways to monitor our carbon impact, Waddesdon C of E School took a different approach on how we can harvest energy from our carbon outputs. Developing the idea of using piezoelectricity – a technology that generates energy from pressure – through the installation of panels at our site entrances, this would allow us to generate clean energy that has the potential to be put back into the C23 programme.

Going Dragons Den style, the students pitched their ideas to a panel of judges made up of members of the Senior Leadership Team and department heads. As with any pitch, the students discussed their design methodology, product impact, and return on investment, followed by a round of quick-fire questions before the scores were tallied.

With scores calculated and to formally honour the hard work and dedication the students had put in over the course of the outcome, we hosted an awards ceremony in Buckinghamshire railways centre, where rail history meets modern rail infrastructure. There were speeches and moments of thanks before awarding our students across categories such as innovation, technical report quality, and pitch. To round off the celebrations, food and refreshments were served, providing the perfect opportunity for the students to network with our people and amongst each other.

EKFB’s Skills, Employment and Education Coordinator, Victoria Hingley, said: “We hear so much about ‘green careers’ but we rarely get to expand much more on what they mean. So, with the support from Chris, the idea for the Carbon Heroes Programme stemmed from there. Inspiring these students is all part of the lasting legacy we aim to achieve.”

EKFB’s Senior Logistics Manager, Chris O’Malley, said: “For this programme, the idea was born out of mentoring and sustainability projects driven by our people within the C23 programme, so it felt only natural to expand this knowledge to our next generation of leaders to consider green careers for their future.”

Bucks Skills Hub Manager, Marina Jackson, said: “The EKFB Carbon Heroes programme has been a great success. It has not only empowered young people to tackle pressing environmental challenges with innovative solutions but also equipped them with essential skills and knowledge for the workplace. The participants have shown remarkable growth, creativity, and a passionate commitment to the programme. The Bucks Skills Hub supports this initiative as it aligns with their mission to support young people to prepare for the changing world of work, giving hands-on learning experiences and an understanding of environmental issues faced by the industry. I was truly impressed by the students’ hard work and commitment and the school's dedication to their student's development.”

Category winners:

• Best Technical Report Award – Waddesdon C of E School

• Best Dragons Den Pitch Award – John Colet School

• Best Innovation Award – John Colet School

• Mentors MVP Award winners from both Waddesdon C of E School and John Colet School