On Wednesday, 22 October 2025, representatives from VIS Secondary School were honored at Stubenring, one of Austria’s governmental buildings in the First District. In the presence of Norbert Totschnig (Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection) and Christoph Wiederkehr (Federal Minister of Education, Science, and Research), over 50 educational institutions from across Austria—including Styria, Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia, Lower Austria, and Vienna—received their Umweltzeichen (Austrian ecolabel) certificate and plaque as part of their first-time accreditation. The event celebrated the efforts of schools and institutions working toward a more sustainable future, regardless of the size of their initiatives.
Following a thorough assessment of sustainable management practices, energy use, school grounds, health promotion, procurement, teaching materials, nutrition, chemical product use, school commute, and education for sustainable development, VIS Secondary School achieved this prestigious accreditation in May 2024. The Primary School has held its re-accreditation since May 2019, making VIS the only international school in Austria to earn this distinction from K–12.
This Umweltzeichen accreditation highlights VIS’s commitment to our host country and reflects our philosophy of acting locally and thinking globally. From our Early Learning Centre (ELC) through to the Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 and 12, students and staff actively engage in environmental protection, ecosystem restoration, and societal initiatives that promote justice, equity, and sustainability. Celebrating alongside other Austrian schools reinforces VIS’s dedication to collaboration, both locally and internationally, as part of our ongoing journey toward a sustainable future.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the ECO team, Secondary School colleagues, and the wider VIS community of staff and students, whose collective efforts made this remarkable achievement possible.