Scheme launched to tackle growing alarm of under 4s reporting environmental anxiety

Keep Britain Tidy today launched a new early years programme to help pre-school children feel positive about making a difference as a survey showed 24% of parents of under 4s report their child worries about the health of the environment.

Eco-Schools for Early Years will run alongside England's successful Eco-Schools programme, which now has more than 13,000 Green Flag winning educational settings, accounting for more than 20% of all Eco-Schools globally.    

There are approximately 21,600 nurseries in England but until now there has not been any national environmental education programmes designed specifically for them. 

Children as young as one will be encouraged to care for their planet as part of the new programme to help early years settings to nurture a love of nature and environment through fun, simple and engaging activities designed specifically for this age group. 

A previous YouGov poll by the charity showed almost a quarter (24%) of parents of children aged four and under say their child worries about the health of the environment such as climate change, plastic in the oceans, and litter, and 26% say their child aged 4 and under has expressed a desire to take action for the environment. 

Eco-Schools for Early Years promotes the notion that encouraging young children to care for the environment can influence the way future generations will live on our planet. 

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “The importance of early childhood education can’t be overstated, especially when we talk about the future of our planet. 

“A child’s early years are the foundation for their future habits and attitudes towards the environment. We know our future generations face some massive environmental challenges as a result of climate change and biodiversity loss, and it is vital that they have the knowledge and skills to tackle them.  

“Every child should have the right to a healthy, safe environment to grow up and thrive in, and we hope that through Eco-Schools for Early Years, our children will develop an early connection to the natural world that stays with them throughout their lives.” 

Eco-Schools for Early Years will be based on the current Eco-Schools model but will include a suite of new delivery resources, a nurseries-specific training programme for pre-school educators, fun, bold and Early Years-appropriate branding, an adapted framework and criteria similar to the Eco-Schools ‘Seven Steps’ and nursery-appropriate presentation of programme’s environmental topics. 

The Eco-Schools for Early Years programme is made possible thanks to our project partners Bright Horizons, Childbase Partnership and Storal. 

Nursery managers can find out more about the programme by visiting https://www.eco-schools.org.uk/early-years/