A belief that becoming more sustainable in our operations is just ‘the right thing to do’ has kept the greening of college operations on the agenda. It has provided a foundation to continually improve our sustainability performance in the areas of purchasing, water, energy and waste in the pursuit of leadership in this field. This page will tell you about some of the projects, events and environmental initiatives we are committed to;

Innovation and Research

Cambridge International College – Australia, with RMIT University, Melbourne and the United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme are currently involved in a $1.8 million dollar Australian Research Council Linkage Project Grant to develop a new software-based system of management for sustainability. The project will provide a monitoring and assessment system to support sustainable paper use by the college, and will be piloted and implemented between 2010 and 2013.

Earth Hour 2010

Cambridge participated in Earth Hour 2010, aiming to have our buildings in darkness for an hour to contribute to a global vote for action on climate change. Heeding this years Earth Hour message, we will endeavour to make every hour count toward reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by switching off lights, appliances and conserving energy each and every day.

CitySwitch Signatories

The CitySwitch Green Office program works with office tenants committed to improving energy efficiency to make a positive impact on climate change. CitySwitch is run in partnership with the cities of Sydney, North Sydney, Parramatta, Willoughby, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, and state government agencies the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water and Sustainability Victoria. By joining CitySwitch, Cambridge joins a growing network of like-minded businesses committed to improving the environmental performance of their offices.

Waste Wise Business Efficiency Program

Cambridge has committed to becoming Waste Wise and will work towards achieving Waste Wise certification by integrating more effective waste management and resource recovery systems into our day-to-day activities.

Greening our Supply Chain

In conjunction with a college wide campaign around the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse, recycle, we are working with our suppliers to assess and identify areas for reduced consumption. Asking our suppliers to provide products that are recyclable, manufactured using recycled materials or environmentally safe processes and with limited packaging creates demand for environmentally responsible products and services. As educational institutions are generally high volume users of paper, Cambridge has opted to source and use copy paper made from renewable agricultural resources across its three campuses nationally.

Sustainability in Curriculum

Reflecting the need to transition to a low carbon economy and a move towards a more sustainable future, Cambridge International College is incorporating sustainability into new degree programs, ensuring the delivery of skills for sustainability is an integral part of the learning experience at Cambridge.