Cognita
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2023)
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Sustainable Learning Environments
- Nurturing Responsible Learners
- Fair & Sustainable Workplaces
- Impacting Global Education
- Leading Responsibly
Environmental Achievements
- 80% of lights in Spanish schools updated to high-efficiency LED fixtures; improved insulation and smart sensors installed; 17 buildings across seven schools have solar installations generating 739 kWp, saving €85,000 annually and reducing GHG footprint by 164,000 kg annually
- 30% less organic waste (mostly food) in January 2023 compared to September 2022 at Hastings School
Social Achievements
- Cognita schools supported over 500 unique causes, devoting over 1,600,000 hours to charitable work and raising over £400,000 for charities
- Launched employee engagement surveys with key inclusion indicators across the group; conducted a review of reward and benefits policies from a DEI lens in Europe and the US
Governance Achievements
- Established a formal ESG program with dedicated responsibilities; launched group-wide compliance policies such as Anti-Bribery and Corruption and Whistleblowing
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Not disclosed
Medium-term Goals:
- Expand Sustainability at School program across the network
- Develop sustainability content for school curriculum
- Expand partnership with The Sparkle Foundation
Short-term Goals:
- Reduce water usage
- Reduce GHG emissions
- Launch Sustainability Action Framework
- Rollout of Sustainability at School programme
Environmental Challenges
- Diverse global community of schools with varying levels of sustainability maturity; managing GHG emissions and energy usage effectively while the group continues to expand
Mitigation Strategies
- Decentralized approach to sustainability, adapting strategies to each school's context; partnership with Sustainability at School; annual global GHG emissions and water usage tracking; launching Sustainability Action Framework to provide practical guidance on implementing sustainability actions at the school level
Supply Chain Management
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- 7
- 6
- 13
- 15
- 4
- 2
- 3
- 8
- 10
- 5
See Annex for details
Awards & Recognition
- 50% of Cognita schools received awards and accreditations for their sustainability work