Darmstadt, May 24, 2012 [ENN] -"Our school can save 271 tonnes of CO2." About 115 schools nationwide participated for the third time in the Klima & Co competition, organized by BP- Europe and by the publishing house 'Zeitbild'. Student Energy Agency of 'Marienhoehe' is one of the 13 winners of special awards thanks to its energy-saving concept. Each winner won 10,000 euros. "The students meditated a lot about the climate at school”, told Prof. Dr. Bettina Brohmann of the Eco-Institution. The proposed measures ranged from the car-free school-day to the modernization of the heating system. "If implemented, the ideas of all prize winners could save around 1,700 tonnes of CO2 per year.”
The task of the students was to develop measures, with a virtual budget of € 50,000, to reduce CO2 emissions at their school. The participating students from all over Germany tracked down energy wasters in their school buildings. Michael Schmidt, CEO of BP Europe SE, explained the real purpose of the competition: "We just want young people to be aware of climate change." The initiative obviously succeeded.
"We are thrilled about the great prize we will receive on May 23. It will be officially handed over in Berlin. This recognition released more energy and ideas in our group," says Bastian Roller, student of the high school, who heads the Energy Agency. Advisors of the students are their teachers in politics, Roland Paeske and Jürgen Gruber. The Energy Agency was established in the academic year 2010/11.
The school center 'Marienhöhe' in Darmstadt, founded in 1924, is certified as a health promoting school. The three branches, that is the primary school, the secondary school and the high school with college, are attended by about 680 students. Sustainable projects are part of the profile of the Christian private school, and is supported by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.