It sits at the heart of our Catholic identity, rooted in the principle of care for creation and Pope Francis’s call to protect ”our common home.”
Care for creation is one of the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching. At this Catholic Sixth Form College in Rusholme, Manchester, that principle has a name, a plan, and a target date.
Xaverian College is committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2035, a full 15 years ahead of the national government target. It shapes how we build, how we run the campus, and how we think about the future.
Our sustainability work is grounded in Laudato Si, Pope Francis’s call for a different relationship with the earth, developed in partnership with the Diocese of Salford and their Laudato Si centre at Wardley Hall, Worsley.
We’ve already made significant changes to reduce our carbon footprint across the College. Solar panels sit on the Teresa Quinn, Ryken and Mayfield buildings. Over half of our lighting has been converted to LED, with the rest due for completion by summer 2026. Electric vehicle charging points are in place on campus, and plastic cutlery has been removed from the refectory entirely. Waste recycling rates are currently in the high 90s percentage-wise, and that figure is shared with students and staff on screens across the College.
In 2024/25, we reduced our gas usage by 10% and electricity by 4% compared to the previous year. We track and publish progress every year.
Our catering partner, Harrisons, shares our commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly food provision. All food sold onsite is fully traceable to source. Free range eggs are used throughout, fish comes from sustainable non-threatened species, and all packaging is fully compostable. Waste cooking oil is collected and converted into biodiesel, saving approximately 84 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. We’re working towards sourcing 75% of all food from within the UK.
Water fountains are being introduced across the campus to phase out single-use plastic bottles entirely.
The College grounds are already home to long-tailed tits, great tits and robins. We want to welcome more. In spring 2025 we installed bird boxes with cameras that will live-stream to the refectory once occupied. A new wildflower garden is planned to encourage bees, butterflies and other pollinators, alongside bug hotels and additional planters across the campus. Our vision is for Xaverian to be a working model of biodiversity and sustainability, right in the middle of Rusholme.
You can cycle here and leave your bike securely on campus. Our cycle-to-work scheme, which now includes electric bikes, is open to all staff. We encourage carpooling and public transport too. For overseas trips, we are introducing a 1.5% carbon offset surcharge from 2026, with the funds raised going directly into carbon reduction and reforestation projects. Where a UK-based alternative can deliver the same academic benefit, that’s the choice we’ll make.
Sustainability runs through the pastoral programme and into the classroom. Teaching teams across all subjects are reviewing how sustainability can be embedded in their lessons and reducing their own carbon footprint in the process. The Student Council is central to this, not just as a sounding board, but as a source of ideas we act upon.
If you want to get involved in shaping our approach to green college life, there’s a place for you here.
The Xaverian Brothers built this College on the values of humility, simplicity and service. Those values point outward, to our neighbours, to our city, and to the planet we share. Sustainability at Xaverian is an expression of who we are, not just what we do. We’re moving in the right direction, and we’re doing it together.
