Eco-Schools: climate education and calculation

The Eco-Schools programme, the world's largest environmental education initiative, is a powerful tool to engage young people and deliver tangible results. We are proud that both the Eco-Schools programme and our free school carbon calculator, Count Your Carbon, are recommended by the Department for Education (DfE) as resources that help schools on their sustainability journey. By supporting schools in your authority to participate, you can build a network of future environmental leaders and take a significant step towards achieving your strategic objectives.

What is Eco-Schools?

The Eco-Schools programme is a pupil-led initiative that empowers young people to lead sustainability efforts within their schools and communities. The programme provides a simple, seven-step framework that guides schools on their environmental journey, focusing on ten key topics, including: 

• Biodiversity
• Energy
• Litter
• Transport
• Water
• Waste 

This structured approach ensures that schools develop long-term, sustainable habits, turning environmental action into an integral part of school life. 

Supporting your council’s environmental goals 

 Partnering with Eco-Schools offers unique benefits that can help you deliver on your educational and environmental mandates: 

Support DfE Climate Action Plans: DfE's Sustainability and Climate Change strategy requires all education settings to have a climate action plan by 2025 and sets an ambitious carbon reduction target of 75% by 2037 across the education estate. Our Count Your Carbon tool gives you the clear, quantitative data you need to measure and report on your schools' progress towards these critical DfE goals. You can accurately track their carbon footprints and benchmark them against our national data, providing the insights you need to target support and demonstrate your contribution. 

Proven Impact and Results: The impact of the Eco-Schools programme is measurable and significant. In the academic year 24/25 alone, schools involved in the programme achieved incredible results, including: 

• 2.03 million kilograms of waste diverted from landfill
• 1.3 million natural habitats created or maintained
• 48,600 trees planted 

For a full breakdown of the amazing impacts young people are making, we invite you to read our complete Eco-Schools Impact Report. 

Cultivate Green Skills and Careers: The programme gives students a voice and a sense of agency, equipping them with the leadership skills they need to drive positive change and preparing them for a future in the green economy. 

Support Your Educational Goals: The programme seamlessly integrates with the curriculum, helping schools meet learning objectives in subjects ranging from science and geography to citizenship. Eco-Schools also provides local authorities with user access to data for schools registered in their area. 

Build Stronger Communities: By involving students, staff, and parents, the programme helps build a shared sense of purpose and community around environmental action. 

Join us in building a greener future

We are ready to work with your education department to champion the Eco-Schools programme and help your local schools become sustainability leaders. 

Eco-Schools website