Trinity College School, Port Hope Ontario (2012)

Environmental Audit

Trinity College School (TCS) is a co-educational, independent boarding/day school located in Port Hope, Ontario. The school’s Strategic Plan makes a commitment to environmental sustainability both in terms of its educational program and built environment. Modeling best practices in terms of environmental stewardship is important in the school’s co-curricular programme, facilities, green spaces and school culture.

TCS already had a strong sustainability program in place through its student Trinity Environmental Action Committee (TEAC) but it also wanted to take a more structured and methodical approach to integrating environmental sustainability into the school’s operational and facilities. That’s why the school asked Fostering Sustainability to carry out an Environmental Audit to assess its baseline environmental impacts and make recommendations for how it can continue to work to reduce its “ecological footprint” and improve operations and purchasing practices.

Since completing the Environmental Audit TCS has formed a sustainability visioning group and three working committees to gather information and explore strategies to implement the audit recommendations. For example, it will be necessary to understand future operational and capital costs and potential savings related to environmental improvements and retrofits, i.e., pay-back, environmental and educational benefits.

The goal is to complete a TCS Environmental Action Plan that will spell out how environmental sustainability consideration can be included in future plans.