Girls can help protect the planet with the Eco award
Celebrate Earth Day by taking action on the environment
We know climate change and the environment are huge concerns for girls.
Our research told us that more than 9 in 10 girls and young women are already taking active steps to reduce their carbon footprint and tackle environmental issues. Girls are doing things like turning off lights and electrical appliances when not in use, and reusing and recycling as much as possible. Girls over the age of 11 are increasingly turning away from fast fashion and buying clothes from ethical suppliers.
If the girls in your unit are already making efforts to become more sustainable, why not take it one step further and get involved in our Eco award?
We’re launching the Eco award on the 55th Earth Day on 22 April 2025, to help girls take action on the environmental issues they care about. The award gives girls across all sections the opportunity to find small ways to look after the environment around them – that could include people, animals, plants and nature.
The Eco award has been designed to give members the tools and knowledge to take collective action on climate change issues within their local communities. With Girlguiding’s size and influence, the Eco award aims to drive broader change in society. We want to help our members feel confident that their environmental actions can make a difference. Girls can protect the environment in ways that are realistic, fun and sustainable for them – learning good habits for life and making a positive impact on the world around them.
I think Girlguiding's new Eco award is extremely empowering to girls and young women who already care deeply about the environment and protecting it for their future. Environmental issues are a key concern of girls, and this new award encourages them to challenge themselves. This award fosters leadership, resilience, and responsibility. Ultimately, this award builds on the skills and confidence of all members of Girlguiding to lead the way to a more sustainable future.' – Staci, advocate
How the Eco award works
Girls can complete their Eco award individually, as a unit, or in groups within their unit. They’ll choose 3 actions to help the environment, doing 1 of them for a set period of time. The actions can be done anywhere they like: at home, during unit meetings, at school, or places in the community, like a local park or playground.
Girls will then share their actions with others in their unit or another section, for example by taking photos, giving a presentation or designing a poster. Then it’s time to get the unit leader to sign off on the award and get the badge and certificate!
The Eco award is our first youth award that can be completed across every section, from Rainbows to Rangers. Girls can also complete their Eco award each time they move up through their sections, as long as they take different actions each time. Each section has its own unique Eco award badge featuring a different endangered animal. Take a look at our Eco award pages for more information.
Choosing what actions to take
One of the great things about the Eco award is that it’s flexible! Girls can pick 3 actions that suit their interests and the time and resources they have available. For example, they could plant wildflowers, research local environmental campaigns to get involved in, help out at a community garden, or upcycle old items.
We asked Rangers and Guides in Fyvie, Scotland what actions they’re planning to take to earn their Eco award.
- 'One of my pledges is that I’m going to borrow more books from the library instead of buying new ones.’
- 'I’m going to walk places more when I can. I’m going to do more book swaps with friends instead of buying new books.’
- 'Using metal water bottles instead of buying plastic.’
- 'Using beeswax for my sandwiches to wrap them up.’
- 'I’m going to donate all my old clothes to charity shops so other people can use them.’
- 'To use public transport more.’
- 'I’m going to try growing more of my own vegetables.’
You can find more great ideas in the award resource for your section.
What leaders need to do
We’ve created a leader guidance document to help you support the girls in your unit to complete the award. You can find more information by looking at the page for your section's Eco award: Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers.
To register the award on GO, log in to GO and navigate to the programme section. You’ll see a new category listed called 'other badges'. Click on 'other badges' and you can add the Eco award. There are also GO helpfiles which provide instructions.
When girls have completed their Eco award, contact your county badge secretary who will be able to order badges and certificates through the Girlguiding shop.
More ways to celebrate Earth Day with your unit
- Read this National Geographic Kids article to find out what happened when our Environment Ambassador, Laura Young, met Guides and Rangers to talk about what environmental actions they wanted to try.
- Check out our activities to help girls learn about the environment for fun environmental-themed programme and partner activities.
- Grab your Earth Day and I’ve helped the planet badges to help spread the word about helping to protect the environment!
