Sustainability goals: Our commitment
COP30, the United Nations’ 30th Climate Change Conference, concluded last month. World leaders met in Belém, Brazil to discuss pressing topics such as emission reduction pledges, protecting vulnerable communities, and empowering every sector to contribute positively to climate action.
Our commitment to sustainability
Action Tutoring’s mission to close the educational attainment gap underpins our commitment to sustainability. In January 2024, we founded our cross-departmental Sustainability Working Group.
The group meets regularly throughout the academic year to discuss Action Tutoring’s contribution to sustainability. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have provided a bedrock for these discussions. We are proud to say Action Tutoring directly contributes to four of these sustainable development goals:
- 4: Quality education.
- 8: Decent work and economic growth.
- 10: Reduced inequalities.
- 11: Sustainable cities and communities.
An exciting opportunity
We were recently invited to take part in a programme hosted by Heart of the City, a responsible business charity dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized businesses on their sustainability journeys. The charity provides expert training and support to SMEs and supply chains of larger organisations empowering them to create more inclusive workspaces, tackle social inequalities, and get started on their net zero journeys.
This unique opportunity enabled us to think about how Action Tutoring can contribute to yet another Sustainable Development Goal – 13: Climate action. As highlighted at COP30, carbon accounting (the process of measuring both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions) is a crucial step organisations must take to understand their environmental impact.
We are very grateful to Heart of the City for helping us complete our first carbon baseline, a snapshot measurement of our total greenhouse gas emissions. Our calculations show that in Academic Year 24-25, our emissions totalled 205.25 tonnes of CO2e. This figure is a good starting point for our future sustainability work. We believe this is a reasonable output relative to our organisation’s size and considering the scope of our operations.
What’s next?
Now we have our initial carbon baseline, the Sustainability Working Group is refining Action Tutoring’s data collection processes. This is to:
- Achieve a deeper understanding of our carbon output.
- Form an impactful climate action plan for reducing our emissions where possible.
Our volunteers can look out for the launch of our Tutor Travel Survey at the end of the term. The survey will gather information on how our in-person tutors travel to programmes. This will give us increased clarity about the emissions resulting from this activity. We will also be reflecting on staff travel tracking and collaborating with our contractors to gain more accurate data on our indirect emissions.
As a charity committed to enhancing the futures of young people, Action Tutoring prioritises maintaining a planet that can support equitable, prosperous and resilient lives. Thank you to Heart of the City for helping our team develop the skills and resources needed to contribute towards our vision for a sustainable future.
Find out more about Heart of the City
If you would like to find out more about Heart of the City, email info@theheartofthecity.com.
