GreenVET pathway

Environmental Note Embedded in Emails

Embedding environmental notes in school email signatures is a simple, effective way to promote sustainability. These messages encourage recipients to avoid unnecessary printing and reduce digital waste. This everyday practice raises awareness and supports the school’s broader environmental goals.

Key People and Partners Involved

School management and teaching staff
Students

Description of the practice

Embedding Environmental Notes in School Emails is a simple yet impactful sustainability practice adopted by schools and universities across the EU. It involves including short environmental reminders or pledges at the bottom of email signatures to encourage eco-conscious behavior among recipients. Typical notes may ask readers to avoid unnecessary printing, reduce digital waste, or reflect the institution’s broader environmental values.

To implement this practice, schools update their official email signature templates to include a sustainability message. Staff are encouraged to keep email content concise, avoid large attachments or unnecessary graphics, and clean out inboxes regularly to reduce energy used in data storage and transmission. This practice aligns with institutional sustainability goals and demonstrates environmental leadership in everyday communication.

The impact is twofold: it reduces the school’s digital carbon footprint and also raises environmental awareness across its networks. These small, repeated prompts contribute to a culture of mindfulness and responsible digital habits—showing how even routine actions, like sending an email, can support climate goals.

Where it’s being implemented

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource.

Impact and Results

Reduced Environmental Impact: Encourages less printing and lighter digital communication, contributing to lower energy use and carbon emissions.
Increased Awareness: Reinforces daily habits of environmental responsibility among staff, students, and the wider community.
Aligned School Culture: Embeds sustainability into school identity and communication, supporting broader green initiatives and values.

Implementation Tips and Insights

Create a Standard Template: Design a simple, professional email signature that includes a short sustainability message (e.g., “Please consider the environment before printing this email”).
Educate Staff and Students: Brief the school community on why this practice matters and how small digital actions contribute to environmental impact.
Keep It Light and Consistent: Use concise text (no images) and ensure the message appears in all staff and official communications to maximize visibility without adding data weight.

Useful Links and Resources

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource. Article on the carbon emission of an email signature:
https://www.woola.io/email-signature-emissions"utm_source=chatgpt.com
Guide on what to include in a green email signature footer:
https://green.exclaimer.com/email-signature-handbook/green-email-signature-footer/