Environmental Initiatives

Buildings and the energy they consume account for almost one-quarter of Ontario's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). A warmer planet results in more erratic weather patterns, rising sea levels and higher CO2 levels in the air and oceans, which in turn affect plant and animal life.

Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment, Laudato Si, says that climate change is real and mainly "a result of human activity," and that faith can guide us to a solution. ​

In a recent Board-wide survey of parents, principals, teachers, staff and trustees, survey participants overwhelmingly stated that "climate change is a concern to me". ​ 

What we doing to reduce energy consumption?

We are renewing our schools to make them more energy-efficient, which means reducing greenhouse gases helping to trim overall utility costs. One key project was a Board-wide LED lighting retrofit, enhancing the quality of classroom lighting and reducing GHGs by 10 per cent, the equivalent of taking over 1,300 cars off the road.