The Foundation is in the process of developing a Sustainability Strategy setting out our key organisational objectives in this area over the coming months and years.
As an employer of almost 2,000 individuals serving over 10,000 pupils across twelve schools in the UK’s second city (and the twenty-fifth largest city in Europe, including Russia), the actions that the Foundation takes corporately and in terms of the individuals in or associated with it will have an impact.
For an organisation whose raison d’être is the development of children and young people, it is inconceivable that we should not be treating the preservation of a habitable environment for those individuals as one of our keenest priorities.
The strategy document groups our current and proposed activities into the following categories:
Education, inspiration and awareness
We intend to develop our educational provision to address sustainability through student-led activity and educating students about their own actions, while raising awareness of sustainability issues within and beyond the Foundation.
Estates, energy and transport
We intend to gain expert advice on current energy usage and develop a plan to reduce emissions, ensuring strategic planning and investment decisions are aligned with low-carbon transition.
Leadership and partnerships
We intend to include pupils, parents, governors, teaching and support staff in decisions affecting sustainability, working with our internal team and partners to encourage individual and corporate responsibility.
Financial, procurement and investment practices
We intend to continue our carefully thought-out approach to ethical investing (including but not limited to environmental sustainability factors) and seek to use our leverage as an investor, property-holder and procurer to promote sustainability.
Our immediate next steps are to:
- Undertake energy audits by Briar Consulting, who we have appointed to baseline our current usage and develop energy reduction programmes, including a Heat Decarbonisation Plan, from which we will prioritise investment in our estate;
- Appoint additional leadership roles to the Foundation to ensure that sustainability is given paramount importance; and
- Constitute a Foundation-wide Sustainability Group to involve all stakeholders in the conversations necessary to develop a detailed sustainability strategy and deliver cultural change and tangible improvements.
We will publish our progress and plans in the Foundation’s Annual Report.
