EDF and the Pod
EDF Energy's sustainable schools programme, The Pod, was
launched in September 2008 with the initial primary objective of
delivering our Sustainability Commitment of engaging 2.5 million
children by 2012. This was achieved two years ahead of schedule and
the Pod now has over 14,000 schools registered to the programme and
over 5.5 million children have been engaged to date.
The Pod aims to make real and measurable difference to the
energy usage and carbon output of schools across the UK by
providing practical support, activities and materials for teachers
and pupils. The programme also aims to help engender interest in
pupils at an early age in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths) subjects. This is important in supporting the
development within the UK of the skills necessary to sustain our
low-carbon generation business.
Through ongoing programme development and regular campaigns, the
Pod engages parents and communities too. Children take their
learning from school to home and help their parents undertake
energy savings and efficiency measures within the home environment.
This is another important objective for EDF Energy, helping us
deliver broader educational objectives in terms of understanding
the need and importance of energy efficiency.
Education goes to the heart of what EDF Energy is aiming to
achieve. In our latest Annual Sustainability Performance Report
(2010), our CEO, Vincent de Rivaz, opens his statement by saying,
"There is no more pressing issue confronting the world today than
climate change. As we ask ourselves what kind of planet we are
leaving our children, so we must also ask what kind of children we
are leaving our planet. This is a human challenge - not just a
technical one. By acting now and acting together, we can rise to
the challenge and tackle climate change head on".
He goes on to say "Our sustainable schools programme, The Pod,
has engaged with more than three million schoolchildren across
Britain, meeting its target two years ahead of schedule. We are
extremely proud of this achievement and our partnership with
Eco-Schools which has made this a reality and we will continue to
build on this success".