Girlguiding has launched its environmental sustainability strategy outlining long term commitments across the entire movement to become more sustainable and half its carbon emissions by 2040.

In setting its target, last year the charity looked into the carbon footprint of the entire Girlguiding movement in the UK.

The organisation also took into account the carbon produced through buying and selling products from its shop to provide a comprehensive understanding of its environmental impact, and the ways it can make reductions over the next few years.

As part of its environmental strategy, Girlguiding has outlined four key objectives.

1. Build awareness and knowledge about sustainability
By 2028, Girlguiding aims for all of its volunteers, girls and staff to be well informed about what can be done to help protect the environment. It will carry out further reviews, provide volunteers and staff with guidance and support to make a positive impact in their communities, and recruit experienced staff to lead the environmental plan.

2. Encourage sustainable guiding
By 2028, the organisation is committing to have researched, promoted and adopted ways of offering more sustainable guiding, coined eco guiding. This will include offering more activities and ideas focused on protecting the environment and the launch of an award to celebrate members who take action to become more sustainable.

3. Inspire and drive change in wider society
By 2028, Girlguiding aims to have inspired change throughout society, as well as within the organisation and become a recognised advocate for girls on environmental issues.

4. Reduce the carbon footprint across Girlguiding
By 2040, Girlguiding has committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 50%. The organisation will look to adopt more sustainable heating sources, improve the buildings owned by the association to make them as energy efficient as possible, and take action to create more sustainable processes and supplier chains for its shop.

It will review its existing uniform’s carbon footprint and look to ensure the new uniform in development will be made using more sustainable, durable fabrics, designed and manufactured to last longer, and where possible, enable them to be recycled into yarn to create new textiles at the end of their life.

Girlguiding CEO, Angela Salt said: “Girlguiding’s vision is for a world where all girls can make a positive difference, be happy, safe and fulfil their potential.

“We want to do everything we can to help create a safer, liveable world for girls to thrive in. As part of this, we have a duty to actively reduce our impact on the environment and address climate change – one of the biggest issues facing the world today.”

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