How does it work?

In an increasingly car dependent culture it is easy to become relaxed about using our own private vehicles for any and every journey. This is compounded when there are localised problems of inadequate public transport and concerns over cyclist or pedestrian safety. Travel to and from school currently makes up a significant part of a school’s carbon footprint. This is made worse when congestion lengthens journeys and increases fuel consumption. Nationally, transport now accounts for 26 per cent of emissions in the UK and is the fastest growing source of climate change gases.

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from journeys associated with schools can be tackled in a number of ways. New green fuels such as biofuels (based on agricultural crops such as soybeans and rapeseed) and initiatives in vehicle design such as the G-Wiz (an electric car with no emissions) may offer part of the solution in the longer term. In the meantime the more that can be done to reduce individual car journeys the better. Using buses reduces the overall amount of carbon dioxide released, and both walking and cycling are emission free.

What data is needed?

To calculate the CO2 emissions from travel the Carbon Detectives Team and individual pupils will need to collect data about travel to and from school and school trips.

  1. Travel to and from school. This is collected by individual pupils who should enter the method they use to get to and from school and the distance covered on an average day. The school staff should also enter their data.
  2. Travel on school trips. The Carbon Detectives Team will need to find out how much travel is undertaken using school vehicles, hired coaches and by air during a year and how many people travel. From this information, the number of people miles can be calculated.

Once the data has been entered it is multiplied by carbon conversion factors to give the impact in kilograms of CO2. The impact will vary depending on the method of travel. For example, if a pupil travels to school in a large car he or she produces twice as much CO2 than travelling to school by bus.

Travel facts and figures

  • Transport accounts for 20 per cent of the average school’s carbon footprint.
  • Between 1992 and 2004 the number of journeys made to school by car rose by 31 per cent and the average journey length increased.
  • Between 8am and 9am 16 per cent of cars on the road in urban areas are on the school run.
  • Public transport uses as much as 50% less fuel per passenger than a private car.

What individual pupils can do

  • Walk or cycle to school whenever possible.
  • Use public transport / school bus services rather than travelling by car.
  • Arrange to share lifts to cut down on the number of individual cars making the same journey.
  • Be aware of the new, more environmentally friendly cars and discuss them as options with their family.

What a school community can do

  • Develop a School Travel Plan to change the way the whole school travels.
  • Encourage cycling to school by providing safe and plentiful bike sheds and lockers.
  • Organise and promote cycling proficiency courses, helping to encourage more pupils to enjoy and feel safe using a bike. This may also help to ease parental concerns about safety issues.
  • Organise safe walk-to-school alternatives such as ‘walking buses’ which will have added social and health benefits.
  • Consider providing a breakfast club selling healthy food to replenish the energy used by pupils cycling or walking.
  • Use biofuels in minibuses and consider transport emissions when planning school trips.

To influence government thinking and policy-making, pupils can:

  • Write to their MP/MEP asking them to improve public transport provision in their area. This may also mean challenging them concerning cost, especially in rural areas where buses are often expensive to use even for short journeys.
  • Support wider initiatives such as International Walk to School Week (www.iwalktoschool.org) to demonstrate the desire for change. This may include the need to target related issues such as ensuring streets are safe for pupils to walk along.