Focus on Sustainability
Charting a Sustainable Future MIKE HOWELL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Sustainability is defined as: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Climate change is an ever-present topic in our daily news, as we witness the escalating frequency of extreme weather events occurring worldwide. The practical impacts of these events is concerning enough, but the fear of what’s to come is negatively impacting the mental health of our young people. According to the 2022 Mission Australia Youth Survey, which engaged 18,800 participants between the ages of 15 to 19, the effects of climate change are leading to increased anxiety. Over half of respondents identified ‘the environment’ to be the most pressing issue of our time, with
What we are currently doing: We already have a number of sustainable practices in place across our campuses. Here are some examples:
over 25% expressing profound concerns about climate change. Young people currently make up 33% of our population, but they are 100% of our future. We, as a society, have a responsibility to channel their concerns into meaningful actions. A hope-based framework As a College, we have chosen not to dwell on eco-anxiety or look to attribute blame for our global situation. We want to paint a different picture for our students - providing them with a hope-based framework that empowers each of us to make a difference by taking small actions, now.
We are confident that by adopting a future-focused perspective, cultivating a shared understanding, and fostering collective ambition, we can make significant strides in the right direction. Our Strategic Framework As you will have seen on page 6 of this edition, the College is soon to release our new Strategic Framework. One of our initiatives is to set a clear and inspiring path for its sustainability journey. As part of this, we will be implementing sustainability practices across the College to actively reduce our emissions.
Building Design
Solar Panels
All new buildings comply with Part J Energy Regulations under the National Construction Code, resulting in significantly improved energy efficiency in construction.
The Junior School rooftop is equipped with 64KW of solar panels, delivering an approximate 20% reduction in energy consumption. Our Cape Otway campus is entirely off the grid, via a hybrid power solution boasting 7KW of solar panels, batteries and a backup generator.
