• Findings highlight a major challenge, and opportunity, for schools working towards Department for Education climate targets 

The daily school run is the single biggest source of carbon emissions associated with England’s schools, according to the first national Count Your Carbon report, published today by Eco-Schools and Keep Britain Tidy. The findings arrive as schools across England are expected to have Climate Action Plans in place under the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which includes a target to cut school emissions by 50% by 2030. 

The report shows that pupil commuting accounts for 21% of a school’s total carbon footprint, making it the largest individual contributor – ahead of electricity use, which represents 11%, and any other single emission category. When expanded to include staff travel, school vehicles and school trips, transport generates around 40% of total school emissions. Taken together, this means that the full transport footprint of a school now outweighs the emissions from heating and powering its buildings, which together make up 27%. 

The hot school dinner emerges as one of the most significant contributors to emissions within the school gates – and the largest individual contributor for primary schools – accounting for around 16% of a school’s carbon footprint(rising to 21% for primary schools). With 73% of meals recorded as omnivorous, 23% vegetarian and only 4% plant-based, the report suggests that small adjustments towards plant-forward menus could have a meaningful impact on overall emissions, providing a direct and practical route for schools to make measurable progress for climate action.  

Drawing on data from more than 1,600 primary and secondary schools, the Count Your Carbon report provides the most comprehensive picture to date of emissions across England’s education sector. The findings challenge long-held assumptions that school carbon footprints are driven mainly by buildings and energy use, and point instead to everyday operational decisions – particularly around travel, food and procurement – that sit at the heart of school life and community engagement. 

As a whole, secondary schools record the highest total emissions due to their size and operational complexity, with a typical secondary emitting 1,031 tCO₂e per year, the equivalent of almost 300 economy return flights from London to Hong Kong, and five times more total carbon than the average primary (204 tCO₂e).  

Rising car dependency, longer travel distances and limited alternatives mean the carbon cost of getting pupils to school has quietly overtaken some of the most energy-intensive activities within the school itself. Currently, across all school types, an average of 42% of pupils travel by car and only 9% utilise public transport, indicating that coordinated action with local authorities and transport planners is needed to reduce emissions. 

Energy use within the school buildings adds significantly to emissions, with electricity contributing 11%. The fact that only 15% of schools are currently purchasing 100% renewable electricity suggests a real opportunity for schools to reduce their carbon footprint further by switching providers/tariffs. Encouragingly, close to 22% of schools indicated onsite self-generation of renewable electricity – such as via solar panels. Fuel contributes a further 16%, with 87% of schools relying on gas as their primary heating source, emphasising the ongoing importance of building energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation initiatives in educational settings. 

While capital investment in buildings remains important, the report shows that many of the emissions schools are responsible for, particularly travel, food and procurement, sit outside of traditional estates management and have historically been difficult to measure. Keep Britain Tidy and Eco-Schools’ Count Your Carbon tool is the UK’s first free, full-scope carbon footprint calculator, built for – and in collaboration with – nurseries, schools and colleges. It supports educational settings to calculate, understand, reduce and track carbon emissions. This gives schools the data they need to meet the DfE expectations, prioritise action and embed sustainability across leadership, operationsand learning. Importantly, it also contains recommendations on how schools can take action to reduce carbon emissions, build a carbon reduction plan and monitor progress over time. 

The data also highlights stark differences between communities. Rural schools have the highest carbon intensity (22 % higher than an urban school), producing almost one tonne (0.99) of CO₂ per pupil per year due to longer travel distances and limited alternatives to car travel. By contrast, suburban schools generate 0.84 and urban schools generate an average of 0.81 tCO₂e per pupil, reflecting shorter journeys and better access to public and active travel. 
  

Under the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which includes a target 50% reduction in schools’ carbon footprint by 2032, all schools in England were expected to have a Climate Action Plan in place by 2025. These plans must set out how schools will reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, promote sustainable travel, adapt to climate risks and make more sustainable procurement choices. 

What the findings mean for schools  

Schools are increasingly expected to take practical, measurable steps to reduce their environmental impact. The report shows that: 

The school run is the single biggest source of emissions in England’s schools overall 
Pupil commuting produces more carbon than electricity use and any other single category. 

Take action: host active travel weeks, introduce reward schemes for walking or wheeling and install secure bike storage. 

Transport must be part of every school’s Climate Action Plan 
With transport accounting for 40% of total emissions, schools will need to work with families and local authorities on safer, lower-carbon travel options. 

Take action: staff commuting also contributes significantly at an average of 12% of a school’s total footprint, so encourage staff to car-pool or introduce a salary sacrifice scheme to promote use of electric vehicles. 

Food choices matter more than many schools realise 
Hot school dinners account for around 16% of emissions and are the leading emissions source for primary schools. Menu changes can deliver rapid, visible reductions. 

Take action: Encourage more plant-based eating by making plant-based menu items more appealing, increasing the vegetable content in mixed dishes, and introducing regular days when only plant-based meals are offered. 

Energy efficiency remains important 
Only 15% of schools purchase 100% renewable electricity, despite electricity accounting for 11% of emissions. 

Take action: Reducing energy use through behaviour change and building efficiency is important, but one of the quickest and most impactful steps is switching to a renewable electricity contract, which cuts emissions significantly without requiring major infrastructure changes. 

Schools need clear data to prioritise action 
Count Your Carbon offers the sector a practical way to understand its full footprint, including Scope 3 emissions, and to build action plans that meet DfE expectations. 

Take action: Every school’s circumstances differ, but Count Your Carbon’s action-planning resources – featuring nearly 70 practical recommendations – enable schools to choose the right actions for them, making meaningful emission reductions achievable. 

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive at Keep Britain Tidy said: “Our inaugural Count Your Carbon report shows that schools have an extraordinary opportunity to lead on climate action through everyday changes that pupils can engage with directly. Schools often prioritise recycling, but to meaningfully address climate change they must focus more on transport, energy use and purchasing decisions.  

“We’re urging every school to sign up to our free Count Your Carbon tool to empower them to cut emissions and protect their pupils’ futures. The tool simplifies complex data into clear, practical actions for schools and families. When young people see how their travel, meals and school environment affect the climate, they become powerful advocates for change.” 

Matthew Hill, deputy chief financial officer and sustainability lead at Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, said: “We started using Count Your Carbon because we wanted a practical way to measure and understand our environmental impact across the trust. The tool offers us a clear, data-driven approach that aligns with our Climate Action Plan and helps engage our schools in meaningful sustainability work. The biggest surprise was how much of our footprint came from areas we hadn’t considered, such as travel. Reducing emissions isn’t just about buildings, it’s about the daily choices a school makes. The tool has helped to make sustainability part of everyday conversation across the trust.” 

Louise Bostock, facilities manager at St Richards RC Primary in Manchester said: “When we looked at our Count Your Carbon data, we were surprised at the number of children who came to school in cars, especially as they live locally – some only five minutes away. As a result, we are now encouraging more parents and children to walk, through a school-wide challenge. Using Count Your Carbon has improved our whole school’s awareness, it’s a really interactive tool for the children and is a great starting point for any school wanting to take climate action.”  

Schools can register and begin measuring their footprint today at www.countyourcarbon.org.  

Key statistics from the Count Your Carbon 2025 report 

Transport 

• Transport-related activities account for approximately 40% of emissions 

• Student commuting alone accounts for approximately 21% 

• 42% of pupils travel by car; 9% use public transport 

Energy 

• Energy use (fuel + electricity) represents around 27% of emissions 

• Electricity accounts for 11% of emissions 

• Fuel use accounts for 16% of emissions 

• 87% of schools rely on natural gas for heating 

Scope 3 emissions dominate 

• Making up 72% of school carbon footprints including commuting, food, purchases,  

school trips, waste, and water 

Food 

• Hot school dinners account for 16% of emissions 

• Food procurement and preparation for hot school dinners = 16% of total emissions 
  Meal composition: 73% omnivorous; 23% vegetarian and 4% fully plant-based  

Procurement 

• Procurement accounts for 16% of emissions 

Location 

• Rural schools emit nearly 1 tCO₂ per pupil annually 

• Urban schools emit an average of 0.81 tCO₂e per pupil annually 

• Typical secondary school emits 1,031 tCO₂e per year  

• The average primary school emits 204 tCO₂e per year  
   

Keep Britain Tidy urges the nation to ‘mend, not spend’ this January  

Despite the cost-of-living crisis, Brits are throwing away millions of items of clothing that could be saved with a few simple stitches, according to new research from environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy to mark the start of Buy Nothing New Month (1-31 January 2026).  

Key findings include: 

• More than half of UK adults (52%) admit they have binned repairable clothing in the past year, rising to almost two thirds (60%) of 18–24-year-olds 

• Shockingly 3% – equivalent to 2.1 million* people – threw away more than ten repairable garments in the past year, collectively sending more than 20 million items of clothing to landfill 

• Only half of Brits (50%) would bother to fix an item that needed a minor repair themself, such as a missing button. Nearly a third would recycle the item (30%) and almost 1 in 7 (13%) would simply throw it in the rubbish bin.  

The YouGov study of over 2,000 adults revealed a wide generational repair gap. Only 14% of 18–24-year-olds always repair their damaged clothes – compared to 41% of over 55s – and only a third of young adults (33%) feel very confident in tackling basic repairs such as sewing on a button, compared with 77% of older adults (55+). 

In response to the findings, Keep Britain Tidy is urging Brits to take part in Buy Nothing New Month this January. The charity is encouraging the nation to ‘mend, not spend’ and embrace ‘Mendfulness’ – taking joy and pride in repairing items as a practical, calming and creative alternative to buying new. With 58% of people worrying about having enough storage space at home and more than a third feeling overwhelmed by their belongings, January is the ideal time to sign up to the challenge to resist the lure of the sales and learn a valuable new skill. 

Dr. Anna Scott, Director of Services at Keep Britain Tidy, said: “The findings expose how far fast fashion and convenience culture have overtaken basic repair skills. Despite the cost-of-living crisis, millions of items that could be fixed in a matter of minutes are being thrown away, contributing to our growing clothing waste crisis. With two thirds of young people feeling guilty about the amount of clothing they throw away and over three quarters keen to learn repair skills to be able to ‘stitch rather than ditch’ their own garments, there’s hope that this worrying trend can be reversed.  

“This January we’re inviting people to join Buy Nothing New Month, spend less and rediscover the satisfaction of making things last. By mending clothes, borrowing, swapping, buying second-hand or simply pausing new purchases, people can save money, reduce waste and rediscover valuable lost skills.”  

Slow Stitch Club owner Skye Pennant, who runs visible mending workshops, said “Clothing repair has become a creative outlet for so many over the last few years and visible mending has really encouraged that. By choosing to mend our clothes in a visible way, we get to show off a new skill and turn our clothes into a wearable scrapbook that makes them unique to us. By drawing attention to the fact that we are choosing to keep and mend our clothes, we are actively showing the big clothing companies that we don’t want more stuff; we value the clothing we already own.  

“Buy Nothing New Month is a great place to start if you’re looking to reconnect with your wardrobe and spend some time learning a new skill. Remember, mended is better than perfect and your visible mending is unique to you and your well-loved clothes.”   

About Buy Nothing New Month (1 – 31 January 2026) 

How to get involved 

Sign up now at  www.keepbritaintidy.org/ and join thousands of others ready to save money, reduce waste and live lighter in 2026. Follow @keepbritaintidy on Instagram for tips and inspiration throughout the month and share your journey on social media to encourage and inspire others. 

Why take part? 

• Save money: Resisting the lure of the sales and avoiding making impulse purchases could save you hundreds in January and get your bank balance back on track  

• Try something new: January is a time for embracing new hobbies and learning new skills. Take on the challenge of repairing clothes instead of discarding them, upcycle household items or experiment with second-hand fashion.  

• Live more sustainably: Every new item you buy has an environmental price tag, from the carbon emitted during production to the water and energy used in manufacturing and transportation. Getting into the habit of buying less helps to reduce waste and conserve resources.