We are delighted to announce that ELAM has become the first fully online language school to receive Green Standard Schools accreditation.

ELAM’s accreditation highlights how every type of language school can play an important role in helping to reduce the environmental impact of our global language education sector - and that every type of language school can achieve our rigorous, independent quality mark for environmental action.

While online teaching still generates a carbon footprint, it is often significantly lower than that associated with traditional classroom-based delivery.

As ELAM explains on their website: “As a fully remote, GSS-certified company, sustainability isn’t a footnote for us — it’s built into everything we do. By helping our clients transition to fully virtual training, we eliminate the need for commutes, printed materials, and physical facilities, preventing thousands of tons of carbon emissions every year.”

While other environmental accreditation schemes may focus on physical, on-site initiatives and therefore be challenging for online schools, the Green Standard Schools evaluation rubric is designed to accommodate a full range of language teaching providers.

Our dual focus – on minimising negative impact through reducing waste, pollution and emissions, and maximising positive impact through education, student empowerment and sector influence – means Green Standard Schools accreditation can recognise the real, impactful efforts of language schools of all shapes, sizes and specialisms.

We are very pleased to welcome ELAM to the Green Standard Schools community and encourage other online language schools with a similar commitment to sustainability to consider applying for GSS accreditation.

As the team at ELAM say, "we believe that education and environmental responsibility go hand in hand."

Congratulations to everyone at ELAM on this important achievement, and on their clear commitment to environmental sustainability.