International House is improving sustainability across their global network, says Giuliana Faldetta

We all know that our human activity has a significant impact on the environment. From polluting rivers and seas, cutting down forests, dumping plastics into the oceans and causing climate change through the generation of greenhouse gasses, we accept that something must be done.

With over 5,000 teachers and 200,000 students around the world, International House (IH) is urging all staff and students in its schools to protect our planet, following the recently launched IH Enverionmental Sustainability Scheme.

Many IH schools are already taking positive action, such as encouraging sustainable behaviour, reducing waste and mitigating the polluting effects of travel. This is welcome and acknowledged, and every IH school, and its staff and students, is encouraged to go further than they have before to take positive steps to incorporate environmental sustainability in their everyday behaviour and reduce the negative effects they have on the environment.

IH’s Environmental Sustainability Scheme covers the six themes of:

1. Educating students about environmental sustainability.
2. Encouraging sustainable behaviour.
3. Increasing community involvement.
4. Setting a sustainable food supply policy.
5. Setting sustainability requirements for suppliers.
6. Managing a sustainability strategy.

It’s also encouraging people in all IH schools to:

1. Reduce travel and offset its negative aspects.
2. Reduce energy consumption.
3. Reduce use of consumables. 4. Re-use and recycle where possible.
4. Reduce water consumption. 6. Reduce the environmental footprint of new school buildings and facilities. Centrally, IH is providing academic resources, ideas and suggestions, and will be sharing innovative initiatives among all its schools.

IH is ambitious for the role that International House will have within the languages industry and is looking forward to making a difference.

Giuliana Faldetta is Brand Engagement and Marketing Coordinator at International House World Organisation.