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Sustainability
Sustainability is a strategic priority for Bourne Education Trust and reflects our commitment to providing a better future for the children and communities we serve. We recognise that climate change is one of the defining challenges of our generation and believe education has a vital role to play in creating a more sustainable society. Our responsibility extends beyond managing our own environmental impact; we are committed to equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and values they need to become responsible global citizens.
Reducing our carbon emissions is a key part of this commitment. While improving energy efficiency helps us to use public funds responsibly and reduce operating costs, our ambition goes much further. We are taking a long-term approach to improving the environmental performance and resilience of our estate through investment in renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, sustainable buildings and responsible resource management. Our first key action towards this goal is a Heat Decarbonisation Plan for each school, which gives us baseline information, and a ‘roadmap’ for improvement. Alongside this, we undertake proactive energy use management through termly smart meter data reviews. Our procurement policy and approach ensures that the sustainability commitments of the companies and contractors providing our goods and services are reviewed as part of all awarded contracts also.
In line with the UK Government's net zero ambitions and the Department for Education's Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, we are embedding sustainability into every aspect of our decision-making. Through strong governance, robust environmental management and collaboration across our schools, we are reducing emissions, improving biodiversity, minimising waste, conserving resources and ensuring sustainability is considered in planning, procurement and capital investment. All Bourne Education Trust schools have developed Annual Climate Action Plans which detail their site specific priorities and commitments.
Sustainability is also embedded within our curriculum, enabling pupils to understand the environmental challenges facing the world and empowering them to make informed choices that contribute to a more sustainable future. By combining education, leadership and practical action, we aim to create lasting environmental, social and economic benefits for our Trust and the wider communities we serve.
We are proud to host a Trust wide ‘Green Week’ annually which pulls together curriculum strands, Climate Action Plan goals and sustainability awareness to reach all students across all schools.
To find out more about our sustainability strategy, our progress towards net zero, the initiatives taking place across our schools and the targets we are working towards, please explore the information below.