An interview with Rachel Mitchell, Head of ESG, ISP
Sustainability at ISP isn’t just about making promises—it’s about delivering real impact, at scale. With the launch of ISP’s first-ever Sustainability Report, The Class of Change, we wanted to go beyond the numbers and explore what’s truly driving transformation across our 98 schools.
So, the ISP Communications team sat down with Rachel Mitchell, Head of ESG, to delve deeper into the report, discuss the ambitious goals ISP has set and explore what sets ISP’s approach apart from the rest. From student-led projects to large-scale renewable energy initiatives, Rachel shared her insights on what sustainability really looks like when a global schools group works together.
Q: Rachel, why launch ISP’s first-ever Sustainability Report now?
Rachel Mitchell: It just felt like the right time. Sustainability has been woven into ISP for years. We’ve worked hard to build a strong framework and set out our ambitions for the future. We’re proud of this work and are now taking it a step further by making our roadmap public and, in so doing, holding ourselves accountable. This report isn’t just a reflection of what we’ve done; it’s a commitment to where we’re going next.
We’ve structured it around three key areas: Learning, Earth, and Community. This means embedding sustainability into education, reducing our environmental footprint, and strengthening our social impact. Our goals are ambitious—every ISP school will assess its sustainability progress by 2027, we’re launching the Class of Change Summit in 2025, and we’re committed to Net Zero by 2050.
Q: What makes ISP’s approach to sustainability different?
Rachel Mitchell: Scale. That’s the big one.
Many school groups are doing fantastic sustainability work, but often these efforts remain isolated—one school installing solar panels, another launching a recycling initiative. At ISP, we go beyond individual projects. We take great ideas and integrate them into a cohesive, group-wide approach that embeds sustainability into every aspect of our schools—from campus operations to education, mindsets, and culture. With over 100 schools in 25 countries, our vision is to scale these initiatives strategically, ensuring sustainability isn’t just an action, but a way of life across our entire global community.
For example, solar panels aren’t just in one or two schools—they’re across nearly all of Iberia and Malaysia, with more across the Middle East, the Dominican Republic, and beyond. And energy efficiency? In the Middle East, our schools have embedded energy efficiency into daily operations and student-led initiatives, creating lasting impact. In just one term, their collective efforts reduced emissions equivalent to taking cars off the road for more than 6 million kilometres of driving. That’s the kind of impact we can have when we act as a global network rather than isolated schools.
Q: What sustainability achievements stand out most to you from the past year?
Rachel Mitchell: There are so many, but a few really stand out:
✅ Reducing our carbon footprint – We’ve invested in solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and smart energy monitoring to cut unnecessary waste.
✅ Students leading change – 1,659 ISP students in our Changemakers programme have designed and run their own social impact projects, tackling everything from sustainable farming to water conservation. 98% of students in ISP Scientists’ sustainability programme changed their behaviour to reduce carbon impact with 90% now confidently understanding carbon emissions and their effects.
✅ Empowering diverse leadership – 51% of ISP’s senior leadership roles are now held by women—meaning we’ve hit gender parity ahead of our 2025 target.
✅ Ensuring access to education – In ISP India, we’ve provided 500 scholarships to keep students in school who might otherwise have dropped out due to financial hardship.
What I love most is that these aren’t just statistics—they’re real-world impact, driven by our students, staff, and school leaders.
Q: What’s next? How does ISP keep building on this?
Rachel Mitchell: We’re pushing even further. By 2027, every ISP school will have identified their own sustainability target. We’re launching the first-ever Class of Change Summit in 2025, bringing together student leaders from across our schools to collaborate on sustainability initiatives. And long-term, we’re staying focused on Net Zero by 2050.
But most importantly, we’re keeping the momentum going—because sustainability can’t be a box-ticking exercise. It has to be something built into how we educate, how we operate, and how we empower students to lead change.
Q: How can ISP employees and students get involved?
Rachel Mitchell: Sustainability at ISP isn’t just a top-down initiative—it’s driven by the people in our schools every day. I am always saying to our colleagues and schools, if you want more information on how your school can be involved, Email me at esg@ispschools.com.
The bottom line? Sustainability is a team effort and everyone at ISP has a role to play.
