Updates to the Count Your Carbon built-in averages for 2026-27
Throughout Count Your Carbon, you’ll see an “I don’t know, use the average” option for most questions. This option allows you to complete your carbon footprint calculation even if you don’t have all the data available. When you select this option, a benchmark (an average based on data from other schools) is applied to your calculation in place of real data. This means your report will include some estimated figures.
What’s changed for 2026?
Over the past year, thousands more schools have submitted data through Count Your Carbon. Because we now have a much larger and better-quality dataset, we’ve updated the methodology we use to calculate the benchmark averages. As a result, some benchmark figures have shifted more significantly compared to those used in previous years. This doesn’t mean the old figures were wrong – they were the best available estimates at the time. The new benchmarks simply benefit from more data and improved analysis, making them more accurate and reliable.
What this means for you
If you’ve used benchmark values before and opt to do so again this year, you may notice a shift in your results. It’s important to remember that these changes are not necessarily because your school’s emissions have gone up or down. They may simply reflect the updated benchmarking method and improved data.
For example, if you opted to use a benchmark to estimate your school trips emissions last year and do so again this year – your emissions for school trips will likely show a decrease, as most of the benchmarks calculated for this area have reduced compared to those used last year.
To ensure you are correctly interpreting your report, you can review the answers you submitted for previous years by heading to the report dashboard and clicking ‘View your answers’. This will allow you to check where you used benchmark figures previously, allowing you to better compare your reports.
Benchmarks provide a reliable alternative where you do not have data, but using your own real data will always give the most accurate results. We recommend striving to gather as much real data as possible to get the most out of your carbon footprint report, and to better track your annual progress.
Looking ahead
As more schools use the calculator, our benchmarks will continue to improve. The full benchmark dataset will be published in our annual statistics report in January 2027.