Sustainability at Chinese International School

Sustainability is a core value at Chinese International School and we are committed to educating our students to work towards a sustainable future. Student-led environmental groups such as Drop in the Ocean (DITO) show that our students care about sustainability and believe that the CIS community must be good stewards of the resources it uses.

The school completed an expert-guided whole school sustainability audit of its operations by Metanoia during the 2019-2020 school year. The audit opened an important dialogue on our collective responsibility to Mother Nature and provided a roadmap for making a difference over the long-term. A Whole School Sustainability Council composed of students, staff, parents, alumni, and school leaders was formed to lead the implementation of this sustainability plan.

From the school’s curriculum and food services to buildings and transportation, CIS has taken a holistic approach to fostering a sustainable campus, all the while engaging key stakeholders. Our current initiatives include:

• Incorporating building-integrated photovoltaic panels to generate solar energy
• Implementing energy saving features in Block 0 which resulted in the school being awarded LEED Gold certification in 2017
• Encouraging shuttle bus and school bus ridership
• Promoting Meatless Mondays
• Identifying ways to incorporate environmental education into all disciplines and classrooms throughout the school

We also recently earned the designation of Carbon Literate Organisation – Bronze level from the Carbon Literacy Project. Our long-term goal is to achieve carbon neutrality and be a model for other schools in campus sustainability and sustainability education.

See photos from CIS’ Charter signing ceremony.

Find out how our TASS Student Ambassador from CIS, Jade, contributed to the student-led Sustainable School Food Summit and learn from her experiences in this video.