Author: The Greenpower Team
Greenpower Education Trust and its national partner Siemens PLC are delighted to announce that Truro High School for Girls in Cornwall has won the first ever Siemens Sustainability Award.
Entrants into the competition were tasked with using the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to inspire ways to make their Greenpower projects more environmentally friendly. From the build of the car to race day travel, the team’s undertaking the task could choose any aspect of the electric racing challenge to sustainably improve.
The winning entry from the Greenpower team at Truro High School for Girls demonstrated how the team has adapted to use energy from a solar powered trailer to recharge the batteries for its cars. In addition, the entry showed superb examples of planning and problem-solving, as well as a deep understanding of the importance of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The prize for the Truro High School for Girls team is a free visit to a SEA LIFE centre of the school’s choosing – kindly donated by Merlin Entertainments Attractions – where the students can discover ways in which sustainability in oceans is being nurtured.
Holy Trinity College, a school in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, were also awarded a Highly Commended certificate for its entry into the competition.
The goal of the award was to get more young people considering and developing sustainable practices, while also realising the power of their own influence. Both Greenpower Education Trust and Siemens PLC have environmental responsibility at the core of their organisations, and are dedicated to inspiring the next generation to take action to protect the planet.
Paul van Veggel, CEO of Greenpower Education Trust, said: “I must congratulate the team from Truro High School for Girls on putting together an excellent entry. They understood that sustainability is a crucial part of engineering and looked at how a complex environment such as motorsport can be improved. They also clearly demonstrated how a Greenpower project can be undertaken in a responsible and sustainable way.”
Olivia Whitlam, Head Of Sustainability of Siemens PLC, said: “Practicing sustainability is in the interest of not just our own generation, but future generations too. At Siemens, we have incorporated the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into our own organisation, so it was wonderful to see how the team at Truro High School for Girls has integrated the goals into its Greenpower project.”
Charlotte Haynes, a student from Truro High School for Girls, said: “I’m so proud that as a team we’re doing our part to protect the planet. Greenpower at its heart is all about sustainability – the fact the cars run on electricity rather than fuel is amazing and finding solutions so that we can go the whole way and use energy which is renewable is such an important step forward. When it comes to the sustainability, we must start with our own actions to make things change.”
Joanne Channon, Senior Education Manager of Merlin Entertainments Midway UK Attractions, said: “We are proud to have supported this brilliant initiative. Both SEA LIFE and their official charity SEA LIFE Trust are determined to protect the world’s marine life. Activities such as the Greenpower & Siemens Sustainability Challenge help raise awareness but also drive real behavioural change. It is so important we do all we can to protect the precious marine creatures and ecosystems we have now, and preserve them for future generations to come. We hope the team from Truro High School for Girls enjoys their visit with us.”
