We are very proud to present our new EcoWarriors.

After hearing about the excellent work the +1 Centre environment group had been doing researching recycling, the group formerly known as Environment Action Group took the opportunity to meet each other. They voted to co-opt their name, and, so, from this moment our united environment group at ICHK is the EcoWarriors.

The EcoWarriors are working on a number of different projects, including The Charter , which we are signing in participation with The Alliance of Sustainable Schools.

As signatories to this Charter, we recognize the following three principles:

• We have an ethical obligation as educators to provide students, as the future global leaders and decision makers, with a thorough, science- based understanding of the nature of environmental, social, and economic sustainability challenges for their benefit and the benefit of future generations;

• We have a civic obligation for our schools to serve as models within the community to promote a sustainable and healthy global future through the prudent utilization of natural resources; and

• We have a social obligation to work collaboratively with all global stakeholders to achieve the aims of this charter.

To this end, the EcoWarriors are involved in a number of different hands-on projects which aim to reduce our carbon footprint and act more sustainably:

Catering/Chartwells: We are investigating the extent to which we can reduce our carbon footprint by offering more vegetarian options in the canteen. We are also looking into launching a “Less is More” scheme where we make better choices when we order to reduce the volume of food waste we create. We’ve found that, conservatively, we produce 25kg of food waste at lunchtimes. That adds up to 3 tonnes across the year. Feeding Hong Kong has some key statistics about the vast waste in the city. We can do our bit to help reduce this waste.

Air-Conditioning: We have been conducting an audit of air-con use within ICHK across the last few weeks.

As the warmer weather approaches, maintaining a proactive attitude to keeping air-cons off if they are not in use, or switched on to an economical 23℃ would be vastly more energy efficient. Research conducted by George Woodman’s Sustainability team at ISF suggests that 50% savings can be made running an air-con at 23℃ rather than 18℃.

Canadian Schools Sustainable Development Goals Summit 2023, March 25th: After attending an excellent online version of this pan-Hong Kong schools event, we have been delighted to accept an invitation to visit Canadian School in-person and hear from an amazing array of speakers from NGOS, political and business backgrounds about innovative green projects here within the city and how acting locally can have a broader regional impact.