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Ministry of Education New Zealand

Education's role in reducing emissions#

The Government is committed to Aotearoa | New Zealand becoming a world leader in climate change action and education has an important role to play.

Our climate is changing. We know that ākonga | students want to better understand their role in, and influence over, that change. Climate change impacts students, kaiako | teachers, schools and kura, whānau, and communities. We need to grow our understanding of how all parts of te taiao | the environment interact to create the ecosystem we live in and rely on. We must explore opportunities to better understand and reduce our impact and come together to nurture and protect the natural world. Through education, our students can build the skills they need to become climate leaders of the future.

Our vision is a future where every action makes a positive impact on climate change.

Understanding our emissions#

We undertake carbon emissions reporting on behalf of all state schools and kura annually as part of the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP).

Carbon Neutral Government Programme – Ministry for the Environment

As part of those obligations, we report on the emissions of all state schools and kura at a consolidated, nationwide level.

To prepare our emissions reporting, we look at the activities carried out by us, and schools and kura, over a 12-month period. We start by looking at what the money is spent on and the core activities that are part of running schools. We then apply emission factors – which combine climate science with accounting principles – to calculate how much global warming is expected from the greenhouse gases generated by their activities. This is measured as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

The data behind our emissions reporting comes from various sources. It includes data we already hold on schools like energy use, school property records and enrolment data. This is supported by national data sets like the Census, survey insights from programmes such as On Our Way, and carefully designed modelling where direct data isn’t available. This approach follows standard practice used by local councils, businesses and government agencies to build consistent carbon footprints at scale.

Through this reporting, we’re building our understanding of how state education impacts the environment. This positions us to develop effective, scalable plans that can support schools and kura to help reduce that impact.

Tō tātou taiao | Our environment#

Our environmentDownload image
Download image
Ecosystem infographic
pdf thumbnailTō tātou taiao | Our environment
DownloadPDF288KB

Individual school carbon footprints#

We’ve broken down our national-level emissions reporting into individual school carbon footprints and made these available to all schools and kura. Their carbon footprint will help them to understand their own environmental impact.

School carbon footprints include emissions from:

  • transportation – how ākonga | students and staff travel to and from school each day
  • construction and maintenance of school buildings
  • energy use – electricity, gas, biomass, and diesel
  • water use, including wastewater
  • waste sent to landfill.

These footprints aren’t a perfect reflection of every school’s individual situation. The data draws on national-level information and assumptions that don’t always capture local differences. Over time, we’ll continue to refine and improve this data to better reflect the unique contexts of schools and kura.

In the meantime, these reports provide a valuable baseline to understand the main drivers of emissions and where future efforts might best be focused. They’re not about whether a school is doing ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – they simply offer a way to see where emissions are coming from and how footprints like this are built.

What’s next#

To date, our focus has been on building a picture of where emissions come from across the school network, with construction, student and staff transport, and energy use being the largest sources. Our next step is to identify where the opportunities lie to reduce these emissions and develop emissions reduction plans that support all schools and kura. This needs to consider the entire portfolio to make sure solutions can be delivered effectively and at scale.

We’ve started testing some of these approaches through initiatives like the On Our Way programme which works with schools to understand and encourage more sustainable travel. You can find more information about the programme below. We’re also looking at ways to reduce energy demand and energy emissions at schools, and exploring how standardising building materials and designs can help lower our construction footprint.

What schools can do now#

Sharing these carbon footprints gives schools a chance to identify their higher emission areas, like student transport. It also allows schools to explore opportunities with students and the wider school community to reduce this impact in ways that make sense locally.

Download a copy of a sample carbon footprint below.

pdf thumbnailSample carbon footprint report
DownloadPDF143KB

All schools and kura have been sent their 2024 carbon footprint. If your school hasn't received one, contact us to request a copy.

Email: [email protected]

Carbon footprints for 2025 will be made available following the submission of our annual carbon emissions reporting in December 2025.

Responding to our emissions#

We're committed to exploring ways in which we can continue to deliver equitable and excellent outcomes for students in a less carbon intensive way, and what we can do to support schools and kura to do the same.

Emissions Reduction Plan#

Our Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) covers our corporate emissions as well as all activities carried out by schools and school boards.

The ERP outlines the strategies and actions we’re undertaking to lower our greenhouse gas emissions over a set period, in line with our national and international commitments, including the Paris Agreement.

The plan identifies key sectors where emissions are generated, and proposes actions to reduce these emissions. It is designed as a roadmap for achieving our long-term climate goals by focusing on reducing emissions that are currently being produced and considering how we can contribute to a lower-emissions future.

Download a copy of the Emissions Reduction Plan.

pdf thumbnailEmissions Reduction Plan 2024
DownloadPDF1.6MB
pdf thumbnailEmissions Reduction Plan 2023
DownloadPDF1.4MB

On Our Way programme – empowering change through transport#

The travel of students to and from school and kura each day generates a significant number of emissions. Transport is one of the largest emission sources for state education in Aotearoa | New Zealand. In response to these emissions, we developed the On Our Way programme.

On Our Way introduces a pathway through climate literacy to help prepare our students for a low-carbon future and a changed climate.

Each school has its own transport story to tell, responding to local and national demand, infrastructure, and economic opportunity. On Our Way is designed to help schools uncover, assess, and respond to their individual transport story.

The programme offers a unique, all-of-school opportunity to build and develop climate literacy skills for students. It uses the same processes businesses, councils, governments, and international bodies undertake to measure, predict, and respond to climate change.

Schools can explore and understand their unique transport environment, such as:

  • how it has evolved over time
  • how it’s used today
  • the climate impact of that use
  • the choices available
  • what future transport might look like.

The programme includes:

  • a dedicated kaiako in a within-school role funded by us to implement the programme in their school
  • age- and subject-specific curriculum resources that map climate literacy across learning areas, localising learning through transport data
  • school-specific carbon footprints
  • transport-specific emissions reporting, allowing schools to view, track, and set targets for their transport emissions.

To read more about the programme, download our information packet below.

pdf thumbnailOn Our Way information packet
DownloadPDF3.8MB

Rolling out the programme to schools and kura#

On Our Way is supported by Sport NZ and their Regional Sports Trusts. Sport NZ’s purpose is to contribute to the wellbeing of everybody in Aotearoa by leading an enriching and inspiring play, active recreation and sport system.

We share a joint action with Sport NZ under Aotearoa’s Emission Reduction Plan to make school travel greener and healthier.

If you think this programme would be a good fit for your school or kura, you can contact your local Regional Sports Trust. You can also email us, and we will connect you.

Email: [email protected]