School Infrastructure

Our commitment to sustainability

Release date: 22 November 2022

The NSW Government has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and halving emissions by 2030. We are taking an active role in supporting these targets and we are proud to share our commitment to sustainability, the goals to 2030 and our initial action plan to take our first steps to get there. 

As the largest public school system in the Southern Hemisphere, we are uniquely placed to make a difference. In our commitment to sustainability, we recognise our responsibility to make real and lasting change, as we strive to deliver quality education outcomes and help our school communities to thrive. 

Read ‘Our commitment to sustainability’ 

Our sustainability priorities and the goals and actions for 2030 

Recognising our opportunities and obligations, we have identified 5 sustainability priorities: 

  1. Unlock human potential: empowering each person with the health, wellbeing, confidence, creativity and resources to succeed  
  2. Foster connections: embed respect for Country, nature, diversity and community 
  3. Act on climate change: achieve net zero emissions 
  4. Consume responsibly: operate efficiently, design out waste and uphold high labour and environmental standards in our supply chain 
  5. Build resilience: equip our communities to withstand and adapt to change. 

We have set 9 sustainability goals for 2030 related to these 5 priorities. For each goal, we have mapped a set of initial actions and we aim to complete these by the end of 2023, to keep us on the right track.

Next steps  

As we work towards 2030, there will be support provided to students, teachers, principals and other school staff, so each school can choose their own level of involvement, with options big and small on offer. A sustainability handbook will be developed, to provide inspiration and examples of great practice from across the department.  

Our corporate teams are well-positioned to drive improved sustainability outcomes by making simple changes to our current ways of working, helping to reduce the overall administrative burden on schools.  

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We recognise the Ongoing Custodians of the lands and waterways where we work and live. We pay respect to Elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, songlines and stories. We strive to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learner in NSW achieves their potential through education.

We recognise the Ongoing Custodians of the lands and waterways where we work and live. We pay respect to Elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, songlines and stories. We strive to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learner in NSW achieves their potential through education.