Sustainability

We are committed to making HSC a leader in Canadian education with respect to practicing, learning and teaching environmental sustainability. Our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative by 2050.

Sustainability at HSC

HSC is grateful to have a large campus with many natural resources that enhance and support student learning. We recognize the critical importance of our environment and the existential challenges of the global climate crisis. We are committed to making HSC a leader in Canadian education with respect to practicing, learning and teaching environmental sustainability. We have finalized our climate action plan and are one of several schools committing to a Climate & Nature Leadership Pledge. Our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative by 2050.

Explore Our Outdoor Campus

Use the map for an interactive tour of our 50+ acres of campus greenspaces.

Partnerships

- EcoSchools
  
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Member of EcoSchools Canada since 2018

Since 2005, EcoSchools Canada’s award-winning certification framework has provided independent reporting and recognition for schools and outdoor and environmental education centres. Reaching about 1 million students annually, we are the largest bilingual, voluntary environmental certification program for K-12 schools in Canada. EcoSchools support engagement across all levels of the education sector – from students and teachers to trustees and parents – through training workshops and webinars, annual conferences, educational resources, and national campaigns.

- Sustainability Leadership
  
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Member of Sustainability Leadership since 2019

Founded in 2011, Sustainability Leadership is a membership-based program that helps local businesses measure their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and develop Sustainability Reports using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – the de-facto world standard in corporate sustainability reporting for its world-wide acceptance and suitability across a wide range of organizations and sectors.

- CAAP
  
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Member of the Climate Action Accelerator Program since 2021

CAAP’s goal is to catalyze bold whole-school climate action in the K-12 sector. We must all achieve net-zero by 2050. Every sector needs leaders who need to get there decades sooner to chart the path. We work with leaders in the Canadian K-12 sector to help them create and implement hope-filled, audacious plans. We will share the learning and inspire other schools to follow.

Cross-College Initiatives

HSC’s newly installed solar array showcases our commitment to renewable energy. This new 553 kW system will have an estimated cumulative energy savings of approximately $2.7 million over 25 years, with many learning opportunities for our students. Additionally, the project is set to reduce our total Co2 emissions by an impressive 7146 tons—an equivalent impact to planting 1624 acres of trees. These reductions will help reduce our overall carbon footprint, which we have been measuring since 2019. The installation of new LED lights in the Senior School is also providing further reductions.

Our commitment ensures that sustainability topics are embedded into learning, as evidenced by some of the recent school initiatives. Our Junior School Garden Curriculum, Middle School biodiversity fair, mushroom farming in the Montessori School and recently launched interactive biodiversity map across our campus are all great examples. This interactive map is a collaborative effort between our Grounds department and Senior and Middle School science classes, where they inventoried the various plants and trees across our 50-acre campus.

Over the course of the 2021–2022 school year, HSC established an emissions baseline using data from 2019 to measure GreenHouse Gases (GHG's). Work included tracking electricity, water, gas and paper usage across the College and continually measuring for improvement.

Below is a glimpse of the many initiatives taking place across our campus that support our sustainability goals.

List of 5 items.

Circular Economy

» Organic waste compost
» Recycling
» Sustainability Fashion Day
» Printer use reduction across campus
» Reuse materials
» Promotion and sales of used uniforms, text books
Climate Action/GHG Reduction

» Solar panel electricity
» Electric bus
» Charging station
» Promotion of HSC school buses
» Electric small equipment (leaf blower, green lawn mower)
» Light bulb replacement
» Turning down thermostats
Sustainability Management System and Planning

» Environmentally-friendly cleaning products
» Environmentally-friendly salt
» Establishing an eco-footprint baseline
» Campus Master Planning with a sustainability lens
» Bottle filling stations
» Black and white copier promotion
» Print and printer reduction
Sustainable Food

» Bee harvesting honey
» Supporting local farms
» Grow your own microgreens
» Food Forest
» Vegetable gardens
Sustainable Landscape management

» No pesticide use
» Native species plant restoration
» Stormwater management
» Bioswales
» Rain barrel
» Native species tree planting
» Solar panel

Environmental Social Governance

HSC’s Board of Governors and Board of Trustees alongside our Leadership Team play a vital role in assessing our institution's long-term sustainability and tracking performance against the goals set out in our Strategic Plan. As HSC endeavours to provide top-tier education in an environmentally and socially conscious way, board members and leadership work in collaboration with HSC faculty and staff to ensure we understand the challenges and opportunities of the College’s operating model as we meet students’ needs. We are committed to embedding responsible and sustainable business practices across our campus and to playing our part in building a more sustainable future for all.

Get in Touch
Please reach out to us if you would like to talk about anything at HSC. We look forward to hearing from you!

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