As a Foundation, UCS is making exciting progress in our commitment to sustainability – working successfully to both reduce our environmental footprint and educate students about the climate crisis.

As an educational setting, we are in a key position to educate young people on what can be done to lessen our environmental impact, but also to set an example in tackling emissions generated across the Foundation. Accordingly, we were one of the first schools to sign up to Camden Council’s School Climate Charter, which set out a framework for making sustainable progress.

Carbon neutral gold

UCS has also become the first school in the UK to achieve triple-gold recognition across all categories of the UN’s Climate Neutral Now initiative. This means that UCS takes the necessary step to become carbon neutral by measuring, reducing and offsetting all emissions arising from school business across the academic year. Measuring the carbon footprint of the school is a significant undertaking, with the data being verified and calculated by One Carbon World.

Our recognition

  • UN Climate Neutral Now triple-gold recognition
  • Carbon Neutral International Standard holder
  • Camden Council School Climate Charter signatory
  • Shortlisted for Sustainable School of the Year
  • Camden Eco Champions Awards 2022 (Senior School & Junior Branch)
  • Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction
  • Level 3 RHS School Gardening Awards
  • Rewilding of Senior School undertaken as part of Camden’s Beeline initiative
  • HomeRun app for sustainable travel (Pre-Prep, Junior Branch & Senior School)
  • Camden/TfL gold STARS (Pre-Prep & Junior Branch)
As an educational foundation, UCS is focused on ensuring it has a positive influence on the surrounding community and on promoting positive sustainable action. The involvement of pupils is vital in engaging and understanding priorities. Jessica Lewis, Assistant Head (Pupils)
I am proud of the work of pupils across the 4–18 age range to lead in sustainability and environmental initiatives. It is an issue that has sparked particular passion and enthusiasm amongst UCS pupils. Mark Beard, Headmaster
The students learn both gardening skills and how to create a biodiverse environment. They have created their own design for a bog garden, butterfly house and beehives. Darius Bluck, Senior School Sustainability Coordinator
Pupils' social awareness prompts them to make notable contributions to the school community and the wider world. Their Green Impact initiative challenges the school to behave in a more environmentally conscious manner. Independent Schools Inspectorate, ISI Inspection Report
We are bringing together sustainable initiatives or technologies and attempting to engage the wider community in changing things. We take extremely seriously our aspiration of becoming carbon zero. Darius Bluck, Senior School Sustainability Coordinator

Renewable energy

Further reducing this figure is the focus of the Senior School’s pupil-led Green Impact Society, along with the Foundation Sustainability Working Group. Energy is the Foundation’s greatest emission area, and energy efficiency technology is being installed as we move towards totally renewable energy. Among other endeavours, we are working to improve our current recycling rate.

As part of our aspiration to be a positive influence on the surrounding community and promote positive sustainable action, UCS’s inaugural Sustainability Open Evening featured major companies – with parents, staff and pupils hearing a keynote address and discovering a range of solutions and sustainable actions.

Pupil engagement remains vital, and as a Foundation we are delighted to have vibrant eco-clubs in all three component schools. These clubs – Planet Protectors (Pre-Prep), Eco Warriors (Junior Branch) and Green Impact (Senior School) – provide an important platform and productive framework for channelling pupils’ fierce passion for sustainability.