Whatsapp
Languages United aims to be socially responsible and help the local and global communities. We actively support the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to have a positive impact on the lives of our students and staff, along with the environment and world around us.
Our environment
The school has developed its own Environment Policy, which sets out our commitments to reduce our impact on the environment. The policy is accompanied by an Environment Action Plan which gives details of how we monitor our impact; what actions we are taking/planning; targets and target dates.
These actions include:
- Offsetting of student and staff flights.
- Using 100% renewable electricity and 100% renewable gas.
- Reducing our use of paper with electronic forms, student handbook and student programme.
- Reducing paper in the classroom by using online classrooms for giving students resources and assignments.
- Moving towards a paperless office.
- Separating our waste for recycling.
- Using multiuse cups for drinks instead of disposable plastic cups.
- Asking students to bring their own reusable water bottle to reduce plastic waste. Promoting the Refill app so that students can refill their bottles when they are out.
- Asking students to use their own bag when shopping rather than getting multiple plastic bags from shops.
- Working with our suppliers
Green Standard Schools
Languages United is an accredited member of Green Standard Schools. We have demonstrated that we are taking action to reduce our impact on the environment, and have adopted GSS's twelve commitments:
- Reduce the amount of energy consumed in the school and switch to sustainable energy suppliers where possible
- Reduce the amount of water consumed in the school
- Reduce the amount of paper consumed and move towards a paperless operation
- Discourage the use of pointless plastics by all staff, students and suppliers
- Reuse and recycle everything brought into the school that can usefully be reused or cycled
- Reduce the environmental impact of purchases e.g. by using local supply chains
- Reduce the environmental impact of all marketing activities
- Compensate for the carbon generated by students and staff travelling to the school – especially international students!
- Encourage providers of accommodation services to adopt sustainable practices
- Include activities that benefit the environment in the school’s programme of social activities
- Ensure that all staff and students are aware of the school’s environmental policies
- Systematically include environmental issues in the teaching curriculum
Carbon offsetting of student flights
Students travel to study English at our school not only to learn the language but also to experience British culture. Whilst other options are available to some students, like coach or train, we realise that flying is the only option for many students. To offset the impact of lfights on the environment, we have used a number of verified offsetting projects provided by Carbon Footprint which help combat global climate change as well as care for local communities. Along these projects are:
Great Rift Valley, Kenya
This project involves the local community in tree planting. As well as offsetting CO2 emissions, it helps reduce poverty, provides wildlife habitats, and creates a brighter future for project team members including orphans and people living with HIV / AIDS. For more information, please see carbonfootprint.com's page on the project.
Tree Planting in UK
This scheme provides not only offsets CO2 emissions but also provides wildlife habitats and supports biodiversity. Each tree is "buddyed", so that for every tree planted one tonne of CO2 is offset through a Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) project.
Supporting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
How do we support the SDGs?
On this website you will see references to the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We use a goal's logo on pages where we are taking action related to that goal. For example, on our Job Vacancies page you will see the icons for "3 Good Health and Well-Being", "5 Gender Equality", and "10 Reducing Equalities".
Learning about social responsibility
In our lessons we encourage students to practise their English by discussing topics and issues, and looking at the world around them. We hope that students will start viewing themselves as global citizens - considering the environment and other people.
Continuing the themes of our lessons, students take part in projects that involve them in the local community.
