CHS officially recognised for commitment to sustainability
Furthering the School’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, CHS is proud to have achieved the Planet Mark Business Certification – which recognises the ongoing environmental efforts of the whole CHS community.
The Planet Mark Business Certification is an internationally accepted certification for all organisations and acknowledges continuous progress, encouraging action, and building an empowered community of like-minded individuals in sustainability.
To achieve this, CHS has followed a robust three-step process: measuring impact, engaging everyone in the organisation, and communicating progress.
The School has monitored its own carbon footprint and is also contributing to the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to have a positive impact on the planet and society.
Projects which have contributed to the accreditation include CHS’s Eco Green Flag status in the Junior School and its active staff of teachers and gardeners who have developed learning around the Junior School Garden and Allotment (the food produced being used in the kitchens for lunch). The garden features bug hotels, wormeries and the re-use of organic matter as fertiliser, with an emerging bee-keeping plan.
Elsewhere across the School, as part of CHS’s Green Plan to become Carbon NetZero, its Eco-Steering Committee continue to work on awareness-raising campaigns, and the School is committed to ‘zero to landfill’ by embarking upon a long-term reduce and reuse waste programme.
Meanwhile 75 new trees have been planted around the School site and, this summer, 744 Solar panels will be installed upon the roofs of the Gym, the Pavilion, Lockhart and Derby Buildings to deliver a 20% reduction in electricity requirements and reduce carbon emissions by 130 tonnes of CO2 per year (the equivalent of 325,000 driven miles or 16 million smart phone charges)!
Moving forwards, the Planet Mark accreditation grants CHS access to effective Data reporting, benchmarks for improvement, recommendations, and on-going support with its sustainable goals. From here the School will be able to measure its carbon emissions and social value contribution whilst identifying the areas which can have the greatest impact in reducing its carbon footprint.
This allows CHS to establish a structured plan, with the ultimate goal of achieving net zero emissions. It will also further empower the School community in their climate activity, and provide families with confidence in the accuracy of CHS’s data when it communicates progress.
