Eton College was a Finalist for ‘Best Newcomer’ in the Planet Mark Awards, held at the Royal Institution, in recognition of the College’s progress reducing its carbon footprint.
Planet Mark described the College as having “achieved inspiring results in their first year of Planet Mark certification.” Planet Mark provides internationally recognised sustainability certification, who the College use to support data integrity.
As with most schools a large proportion of carbon generation is due to on site heating. To reduce carbon generated the College has built a new district heating system using efficient centralised energy centres and highly insulated polymer pipes.
Eton College also uses electricity that is 100% generated from renewable sources, with solar panels installed at the College and approximately half of Eton’s energy supply coming from offshore wind.
Kerri Hicks and Pauline Herbommez, Directors of Environmental Educational at Eton College, said: “Having worked on Environmental Education for the past 14 years at Eton College and witnessed the commitment of our pupils, it is rewarding to be formally measuring, reporting and celebrating our efforts with Planet Mark.”
Chris Reeve, Director of Buildings and Facilities at Eton College, explained: “Investing in the new district heating system will we estimate reduce our Scope 1 carbon emissions by up to a third, and it is an important stepping stone on our sustainability journey towards the net zero aspirations.”
Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are a way of categorizing an organisation’s carbon footprint; with Scope 1 emissions being directly controlled activities, such as on site heat generation, Scope 2 emissions being from purchased energy and Scope 3 concerning supply chain activities.
