This week Eco-Schools and Keep Britain Tidy announced the launch of their Count Your Carbon report: ‘Towards Net Zero: Measuring the Carbon Impact of Schools in England’.
Drawing on data from over 1,600 schools in England, this report: ‘provides a picture of the education sector’s carbon footprint. It reveals that the emissions schools are generating often sit outside traditional building management – historically these emissions have been difficult to measure, until now.’
The Department for Education expects all schools in England to have a Climate Action Plan in place by 2025. While many schools have already begun this journey, the biggest challenge has always been identifying where to focus efforts for the greatest impact. This report is designed to provide the data you need to meet those expectations and prioritise the areas where action will be most effective.
Key findings:
- The school run is the #1 contributor: The data shows that pupil commuting is now the single largest source of emissions (21%), outweighing electricity use (11%).
- Transport dominates: When including staff travel and school trips, transport accounts for roughly 41% of a school’s total footprint – more than the heating and powering of buildings combined.
- The rural/urban divide: Due to travel distances, rural schools have a carbon intensity 22% higher than urban schools, highlighting the need for localised action plans.
Turning data into action:
Under the DfE’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, schools are tasked with a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.
The report offers a selection of practical recommendations that schools and Local Authorities can implement to address key areas.
For the full report visit: Towards Net Zero: Measuring the Carbon Impact of Schools in England – Count Your Carbon
Nick Butler, Modeshift Chief Operating Officer said:
‘Implementing active travel schemes like Modeshift STARS is key. STARS contributed to schools reporting 2.5m fewer car journeys on the school run in 24/25 compared to previous years.’
Support your school’s journey toward sustainability with our Climate Action Plan guidance download
We’ve developed a resource to help education settings take a structured, strategic approach to climate action.
This school sustainability resource explains what a Climate Action Plan for schools is and how an education sustainability plan can embed eco-friendly practices into everyday teaching and operations.
