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Start thinking:

What does it mean to be able to adapt?

How easily can you adapt when the world around you changes?

Session 8: Pathways to Net Zero

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Heatwave

The UK has 35°C temperatures for a week and schools remain open.

Heavy Snow

Overnight snowfall means roads are blocked.

Flooding

Heavy rain has flooded roads around your town.

Power Cut

Electricity has been unavailable for 24 hours.

It depends on what is changing!

Discuss with a partner:

Which scenario would be easiest to adapt to? Which would be hardest?

Which changes only affect you? Which require the whole community to work together?

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What does net zero require and what is

our role in it?

Today’s Big Question:

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PATHWAY 1

The Clean Energy Revolution

Net zero as a balance
The thorny devil's capillary action
Biomimicry applications (e.g. cooler solar panels)

10 mins

The clean energy revolution is happening, so what does net zero require, and what is our role in it?

PATHWAY 2

How We Hit Net Zero

Decarbonising energy
Transport, food, and industry
Building climate resilience
Connecting personal choice to change

10 mins

z

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Part of my day	Carbon Impact	Could I Change This?	Who Needs to Help?
e.g. Bus to school
e.g. Lunch - lamb curry
e.g. Lessons - classroom heating

My Net Zero Audit

You have been tasked to audit your own carbon footprint.

Copy out the four columns below, then think of three different moments in your day, like the examples. Be specific.

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My Net Zero Audit

Now fill in the other three columns to work out the carbon impact, if you can change it and who might need to help you change it.

Part of my day	Carbon Impact	Could I Change This?	Who Needs to Help?
e.g. Bus to school	Medium	Maybe	Local Council / School
e.g. Lunch - lamb curry	High	Yes	Me / Family
e.g. Lessons - classroom heating	High	No	School / Government

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Write 3 complete sentences in your notebook:

My Choice (1 Sentence): 1 realistic change you can make in your daily life.

School Action (1 Sentence): 1 change our school should make to cut emissions.

Government Action (1 Sentence): 1 change the government must lead to help us hit net zero.

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WE HAVE COVERED:

What net zero means, and why it is about balancing emissions
Ways to reduce emissions across energy, transport, food and industry
The main renewable energy sources and the role each can play in a net zero future.
How biomimicry works
Connecting personal choices to systemic change

Learner Journal

Part 1: Three Things I Learnt Today

Open your Learner Journal. Write down three things you learnt. These can be facts, ideas, or things that surprised you.

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Across energy, transport, food and industry, which do you think is the hardest to change on the way to net zero, and why?

Learner Journal

Part 2: Reflective Question

Write your response in your Learner Journal, then ﬁnish sections 3-5.

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“The transition to a zero-carbon economy…is not about sacrifice or deprivation; it is about creating cities where we can breathe, communities that are healthier and safer, and an economy that is cleaner, fairer, and more resilient.” Lord Nicholas Stern, economist and academic (2015)

Reaching net zero isn't an all-or-nothing demand to stop living, it is about striking a balance. By pairing smart human design with natural inspiration like biomimicry, we can build a cleaner, fully functioning society that stops warming the planet.

Lock-In Quote