Sustainability

Our Sustainability Journey

At Ivanhoe Grammar School we are working toward a zero-carbon footprint.

We are committed to a sustainable future for the families and students who will make up our future School community. Sustainability is a key priority for the School and is an important part of our curriculum, co-curricular activities and culture. It is an integral part of our purpose to develop young people of character and our ethos embodied in our Ivanhoe Learner Attributes. Sustainability is central to our driving principle of global citizenship, with our Global Citizenship Centre programs underpinned by the United Nations 2030 Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

‘I think a young person of character is someone who tries to use their voice to bring attention to global and local issues.’ Claudia Bailey, Class of 2020

Low Impact Development (LID) Consulting has been engaged by the School to help us determine if and how we can meet our goal to achieve a zero-carbon footprint. LID Consulting are leaders in sustainability and Environmentally Sustainable Design. They have extensive experience in providing schools, organisations and building designers advice on how to improve their sustainability practices and reach their environmental vision.

LID Consulting is undertaking a school-wide review of our current practices and sustainability initiatives. Key areas of focus include energy efficiency, water management, waste minimisation, consumption and procurement practices. Opportunities such as indoor environment, transport, urban ecology and resilience to urban heating, and materials for building works are also being explored.

‘Sustainability is about making small changes in your lifestyle or routine to make a bigger difference. If everyone makes these small changes, the world will be a better place.’ Frank, Year 10.

Let’s start the conversation

Sustainability is a collective responsibility. We are interested in the ideas and thoughts from our community, in particular our staff, parents and students. We would like to know what you like about our current sustainability initiatives and practices, and what you believe we need to do here and now, today, for a sustainable future, tomorrow.

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, we will be starting this conversation with our community through an online survey in early November. We welcome your input through this survey, to help us and LID Consulting gain an understanding of the sustainability successes and opportunities at the School and at home.

Celebrating sustainability

• Our energy consumption (electricity and gas) across all campuses reduced by 18% from 2018 to 2019
• Our water consumption at Plenty Campus and The Ridgeway Campus reduced by 31% from 2018 to 2019.

Let’s keep up this great work. Thank you to LID Consulting for reviewing our energy and water consumption. We look forward to sharing our the key steps along our journey to achieve our goal for a zero-carbon footprint for Ivanhoe Grammar School.

Here is a little something showcasing our Sustainability Program at University Campus for you to enjoy!