GL Education is an assessment provider working with schools in the UK and internationally. The organisation focuses on ‘improving student outcomes through better assessment’ and providing valuable data with insights to schools. GL’s work helps show evidence of progress, strengths, and gaps in reading and core subjects. In addition, its services are key to identifying and supporting children with educational needs and informing teaching strategies.
In 2022, GL Education asked Grain for help with a carbon footprint baseline, benchmarking and sustainability communications. The project goals were to:
- highlight potential focus areas for sustainability
- increase sustainability-related actions
- enable the measurement and reporting of initiatives.
Comparison against peers
The benchmarking process allows companies to understand how they fit among peers and competitors in their sector. GL was keen to see how they compared in areas including net zero commitments, adoption of frameworks, and sustainability reporting. The final report presented a benchmarking position for GL to consider as part of its strategic planning process.
Understanding carbon impacts
In parallel, Grain produced a comprehensive carbon footprint for GL Education. The footprint measured scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions, in alignment with the GHG protocol. Adopting a pre-COVID baseline year offers a practical comparison for later emissions reporting. This allows Grain’s recommendations for emissions reduction actions and targets to be reviewed and implemented.
Communicating action
Additionally, Grain has provided communications support to help GL Education. We identified and highlighted actions in place through the lens of sustainability. These have been aligned to the overall sustainability commitment of the organisation and shared so that stakeholders can see the actions and approach in place.
