Cities100: Rio de Janeiro - Pioneering Sustainability in Schools

In Rio de Janeiro, an increasing number of schools are becoming greener and adding climate change to the curriculum, disseminating important knowledge to students and communities.

The Challenge

In Rio de Janeiro's low-income areas, there is a need for educating residents about the importance of recycling waste, water conservation, and general low-emission habits, which the Sustainable Schools Project addresses.

The Solution

Initiated in 2016, six schools in the Brazilian coastal city joined the pilot of the Sustainable Schools Project. Now at eight schools, the project is a pioneering initiative in Brazil, developed to empower students, teachers, and their surrounding communities with knowledge on sustainability and climate change. By teaching new concepts and practices, students learn how to use natural resources in a sustainable fashion, the importance of recycling, and how to shrink their carbon footprint. The schools are not merely talking about climate change, they are walking the walk, too. Participating schools have developed vegetable gardens, composting facilities, vegetable oil collection to avoid disposal in the sewers, and electronics and batteries waste collection. The schools have also installed PV solar panels, LED lamps, and hybrid lampposts with integrated wind and solar power devices to power them off-grid. The city plans to have 40 sustainable schools by the end of 2020.

Environmental Benefits –  More than 800 liters of oil were collected by students from three schools in 2016 in order to avoid improper disposal and water pollution.

Social Benefits –  Providing students with a hands-on environmental education enables them to learn the importance of cooperation and the effects of doing good in their communities at an early age.

Health Benefits –  The project promotes healthy eating, and communities surrounding the schools benefit from the organic vegetables grown at the schools.

About Cities100

Presented by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), Sustainia and Realdania – Cities100 2017 showcases leading solutions to urban climate challenges in five sectors: Energy, Waste, Adaptation, Mitigation and Transportation.

Available online and in print, Cities100 provides stakeholders an accessible format to explore achievable solutions for climate action in cities, and will be a useful tool for relevant groups ranging from impact investors and development organizations, to mayors and city governments. You can access the full Cities100 2017 publication online here.