Environmental Policy
Oxford International Education Group (“the Group”) educates over 50,000 students annually and employs over 1000 members of staff across nine embedded colleges in the UK, North America and Germany, seven language schools and one career college throughout the UK and North America, supports 25 IELTS testing centres and hosts thriving online education and education services divisions.
In providing high quality educational and workplace facilities we recognise that many of our activities have environmental impacts which are, or have the potential to be, significant. We are therefore conscious of the importance of protecting the environment and embedding sustainability in all our activities. To this end we are committed to implementing environmentally responsible standards and practices to mitigate and manage our impacts in a program of continual environmental improvement.
The principles set out in this Environmental Policy will guide our activities across the Group:
- The integration of environmental management into our day-to-day operations ensuring that environmental issues are addressed whilst continuing to offer a high standard of education to our students
- The awareness and compliance with all relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice and local requirements
- The promotion of awareness of environmental issues to staff and provision of environmental training where appropriate
- Providing training and awareness of environmental issues to our students through our communications and our teaching curriculum
- The promotion of improved environmental performance among key stakeholders (eg hotels, catering, homestay providers) through communication of our environmental policies and procedures
- Engaging with the relevant local authorities and the local community to share best practice and exchange initiatives
We aim to mitigate and manage our environmental impacts by:
- Creating an ESG team tasked with identifying, measuring and mitigating our environmental impacts and reporting to the Board
- Reducing carbon emissions through the efficient use of energy and reducing international air travel
- Reducing water consumption and improving water efficiency
- Improving resources efficiency by focusing on recycling and re-using to prevent disposal. We will be focusing especially on improved recycling of paper and food.
- Encouraging the adoption of sustainable methods of transport for staff, students and visitors whilst visiting or commuting to our Schools and Colleges and when representing the Group.
The Group Compliance and Operations Director has day to day responsibility for the environmental performance of the Group. All staff and students also share this responsibility and are required to adhere to the principles of this policy as are our suppliers.