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Sustainability at Newham College

Newham College is committed to raising environmental awareness and promoting individual and collective effort in the implementation of sustainable practices across all areas of the College’s operation and academic activities.

Our Mission

Our “One College, One Community” ethos ensures that every learner’s journey is valued and supported. By fostering ambition, confidence, and inclusivity, we empower individual achievement while contributing to the nation’s socioeconomic progress and environmental goals. As Newham College prepares students for the future, we recognise the increasing importance of sustainability and climate action. Through tailored guidance and awareness initiatives, we aim to create a supportive environment where students can make informed educational and career choices, including opportunities within the green economy. By integrating sustainability into both our curriculum and campus operations, we inspire learners and stakeholders to champion environmental stewardship, pursue careers in emerging green industries, and actively contribute to a sustainable future for both people and the planet. Our sustainability strategy reaffirms Newham College’s commitment to environmental stewardship and responsibility. Over the next decade, the college will implement a targeted and impactful approach to increasing climate action awareness and minimising the environmental impact of its operations. By driving both individual and collective efforts, Newham College London intends to embed sustainable practices across all its operational and academic areas, ensuring measurable progress and meaningful contributions to a sustainable future.

Aligned with the Association of Colleges’ FE Climate Action Road map, Newham College is fully committed to supporting the UK government’s target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Our ambition is to establish ourselves as a leading further education institution in sustainability and climate action by 2040.

Sustainability Committee

The College’s Sustainability Committee has the primary purpose to drive and deliver sustainability initiatives across the College by following the Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges with the goal of achieving Net Zero by 2030. It has also identified 5 areas of sustainable activities:

What is sustainability?

Sustainability means “Meeting our own needs without compromising the well-being of future generations to meet their own needs”.

It is a holistic approach that considers the integration of ecological health, social equity, and economic growth, to create resilient communities for this generation and generations to come.

What about Net Zero?

Net Zero refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal from the atmosphere. The term ‘net zero’ refers to the state at which global warming stops.

What have we done so far?

LED lighting

Newham College has invested in sustainable alternatives each year. In 2020, the Estates Department changed the old lighting to improve energy efficiency at East Ham and Stratford campuses. Each building (except Y Block) has been able to substantially reduce carbon emissions by completing LED lighting upgrades across campuses. Thanks to this initiative, around 160.14 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been saved from being released into the atmosphere in one year after implementation.

New boilers

Last year, old boilers were removed and disposed of and new boilers installed in all our buildings. While these new boilers are still dependent on fossil fuel, they are considerably more energy-efficient, producing less CO2 than the boilers they replaced.

Electric vans

Our old diesel and petrol vans were replaced with two new electric vans in February 2021, improving air quality by producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as eliminating harmful carbon and other pollutant emissions from fuel.

BMS

We have implemented a Building Management System (BMS) enhancing our energy monitoring and optimising energy usage.

New Windows

We are transitioning to triple-glazed windows at our East Ham Campus.

New Heat Pump

We have installed Air Source Heat Pumps at the Stratford campus to further our decarbonisation goals.

Energy Reduction

We have measured a reduction of 41% in emissions in scope 1 and scope 2 and 37% in energy consumption, demonstrating significant progress in operational sustainability.

New Canteen

We have redesigned the canteen layout at our East Ham Campus to improve energy efficiency, reduce wait times, and optimise service.

Food Waste

We are minimising food waste by monitoring our consumption history and cooking in batches to reduce excess food production. We also minimised food waste by monitoring our consumption history and cooking in batches to reduce excess food production.

Reusable Cups

We have Introduced a 40% discount on hot drinks for customers who bring their own reusable cups to help reduce waste at our cafes.

Waste Management

Newham College operates a zero-landfill waste management by directing all general waste to green energy recovery processes.

Teacher Toolkit and CPD Training

We have developed a Teacher Toolkit which provides resources to support sustainability-focused teaching, learning, and assessment (TLA). Collaboration with the Supply Chain School – Developed free-to-access 14 sustainability pathways covering topics such as water management, biodiversity protection, and carbon reduction.