Towards Net Zero: Measuring the Carbon Impact of Schools in England
Eco-Schools with Keep Britain Tidy are happy to present our inaugural Count Your Carbon statistics report – the first of its kind to comprehensively analyse the carbon emissions from schools in England. Clearly quantifying the areas driving emissions, the report shows where action is most needed and we hope it will help to inform research, policy development and climate action.Â
The report presents estimates of greenhouse-gas emissions reported by schools in England via the Count Your Carbon calculator for the 2024/25 academic year. Data from over 1600 schools, representing approximately 7% of the state-funded schools estate in England, is included in the analysis. The report presents average carbon footprint figures for primary, secondary, all-through and SEND schools, alongside more detailed data around footprint composition, emissions scopes, operational areas and the impact of community type.Â
The report is presented in two formats: an executive summary which provides a brief overview of the key findings, and a full report which provides more data alongside deeper analysis.
Executive Summary
The executive summary highlights the key insights from our data analysis and provides clear guidance on the operational areas with the greatest potential for impact across the education sector. It presents data on the average carbon footprint figure and composition for primary, secondary, all-through and SEND schools and takes a brief look at how community type has an impact.
Want to go deeper?
The full report delves deeper into the dataset, offering more detailed analysis on the average carbon footprint and composition for each school type, before presenting more granular data relating to each operational area covered by Count Your Carbon. It also includes information about the purpose and coverage of the report, and the data analysis approach taken.
Methodology
Count Your Carbon is designed specifically for schools, colleges, and nurseries across the UK. It is simple, accessible, and aligned with international standards such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, while tailored to the practical realities of school life.Â
If you’d like further information about how the calculator works, what data sources and assumptions underpin it, and how results should be interpreted, visit our methodology page, where you’ll find a brief overview as well as a link to download our full methodology report.Â
