Hidden carbon emissions for schools: reporting on commutes

Independent schools can uncover a major part of their carbon footprint - staff and student commutes - using our Sustainability Navigator tool.

The UK is off track for its net zero target according to the latest update presented to Parliament on 18 July 2024 by The Climate Change Committee, the independent statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008. 

Their 2024 Progress Report to Parliament report highlights the need for a renewed focus on electric cars, heat pumps and tree planting, among other recommendations – all areas where many independent schools are already focusing on improvements. 

Emissions reporting: a growing priority for schools

Accurate reporting of carbon emissions is essential for all organisations. This enables them to demonstrate their progress in reducing emissions, and clearly shows that addressing climate change is a high priority for the organisation. 

Below is an illustration of a typical independent school’s emissions by their scope categorisations. Scope 1 are direct emissions controlled by your school, whilst scope 2 and 3 are indirect emissions.

Our review of sustainability information on the websites of over 550 independent schools show that less than 0.5% report indirect scope 3 emissions – this is a big opportunity missed. 

Furthermore, for the independent day schools in our database, pupil and staff commutes amount to about half of total emissions, exceeding electricity and gas emissions combined. 

To compile a comprehensive emissions report manually will be more time consuming than when using sector specific tools or consultants. 

Our conversations with Bursars reveal that parents expect schools to take sustainability seriously; it is not a differentiator as much as a baseline expectation. Furthermore, based on increased scrutiny from parliament and the new government prioritising this, we suspect that indirect emissions reporting may soon become a legislative requirement. 

Benefits for schools having comprehensive metrics

There are many benefits to schools having comprehensive metrics for their emissions. It allows them to: 

• Prioritise the right improvements (which is difficult if you’re missing half your emissions from your reports). 
• Take direct action - we have seen schools make their case for installing electric chargers and optimising bus routes, among other improvements. 
• Engage directly with staff and parents in your journey to net zero by including emissions they control. 
• Engage with local communities - while they may never love your school buses, at least you can make the case for the carbon emissions they save compared with pupils travelling by car and other means. 
• Meet the baseline expectations of parents by sharing comprehensive metrics and be ready for future regulations.   

Measuring Scope 3 emissions 

Understanding your school’s emissions

The average round trip distance for pupils in independent schools in our databases is 13.1 miles, producing roughly 3.5kg of carbon emissions. With an estimated 190 school days in a school year, this ramps up to 669.1kg of carbon emissions annually. 

For students who live overseas and study at a UK boarding school their annual emissions could be even greater. 

If a student lives in Hong Kong and makes one return trip home a year, their annual emissions would be 2.9t of carbon emissions. 

Having this understanding goes a long way in helping build a realistic view of your school’s emissions. 

Using Sustainability Navigator 

We demonstrate below how our Sustainability Navigator tool brings all your carbon emissions together in one place. It enables you to communicate your complete emissions whilst also reducing them in a more effective way, using straightforward visuals. 

The tool also uses internationally recognised standards and methods to calculate your carbon emissions accurately. This gives you an precise view of where your emissions are happening and the positive impact of school bus routes and local transport. 

Below, the first map shows the distribution of where day families and staff live for the fictional school of Stone Henge - the blue dots represent day families, while the yellow dots represent members of staff. 

Carbon emissions from commuting districts are color-coded, with darker shades indicating higher emissions and lighter shades representing lower emissions. For the example of our school, the district council, Wiltshire, contributes the most.
 

On the second chart, the blue shades show the families who commute by car and the orange dots show the families who use school transportation. 

The Sustainability Navigator also maps out all bus routes in different coloured lines, enabling a quick view of any blind spots in bus routes.  

Go further with your findings 

Once you understand the routes into school you can start thinking about how to reduce scope 3 emissions. This can lead to the exploration and implementation of the following: 

• Engaging with district councils, neighbouring schools, and businesses about new bus routes or an extension of existing ones
• Changing or adding to your current bus routes 
• Introducing a carpooling system at your school for pupils and/or staff members
• Starting an electric car purchase benefit for staff  
• Investing in charge points for electric vehicles
• Investing in electric buses and coaches for school bus routes and trips

Sustainability Navigator can capture your total emissions in scope 1, 2 and 3 – making it easy to use data and evidence-based decisions to track positive changes made from your decisions.  

Next steps

Sustainability Navigator is a fantastic solution for independent schools, built by experts in climate emissions reporting. 

To learn more, please visit Sustainability Navigator for Schools where you can book some time with us to discuss how we can help your school. Alternatively, email us.