Girls' Day School Trust

The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), the UK’s leading network of independent girls’ schools, has achieved CarbonNeutral® organization certification in partnership with Climate Impact Partners. By measuring and offsetting its unavoidable emissions, GDST is demonstrating how educational institutions can take credible climate action while inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Achieving CarbonNeutral® organization status demonstrates our commitment to tackle the unprecedented planetary challenges we currently face. Together, we have a unique opportunity to create our own legacy, one that will mean future generations of GDST girls will look back and feel proud of our contribution and inspiring future generations of girls and young women to play an active role in protecting our planet.

Define

The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), the UK’s leading network of girls, set out to offset unavoidable emissions while taking measures to decarbonize their organization. Their ambition was twofold:

To inspire positive climate action among students, families, and staff.
To support projects that provide tangible opportunities for women and children, aligning with GDST’s mission to help girls learn without limits.

Measure

Working with Climate Impact Partners, GDST measured its carbon footprint and pursued CarbonNeutral® organization status. This required a clear accounting of unavoidable emissions and the purchase of high-quality carbon credits to balance them.

Target

GDST’s target was to achieve CarbonNeutral® organization certification while embedding sustainability across its Trust-wide “One” strategy. Their goals included:

Demonstrating leadership in sustainability across their family of schools.
Ensuring projects supported both environmental outcomes and social benefits for women and children.

Reduce

In addition to working towards meaningful internal emission reductions, GDST supported impactful carbon reduction projects, including:

Aqua Clara Water Filters, Kenya: Providing clean water to over 9,600 households and schools, replacing firewood-fuelled stoves with efficient filters. This project has reduced 215,000 tonnes of CO₂ since 2014 and saved 16,162 tonnes of wood that would otherwise have been used to boil water. It also frees up time for women and children to pursue education and employment.
Reforestation and Community Development, Ghana: Restoring nearly 12,000 hectares of degraded forest reserves through sustainable forestry. The project has created over 1,000 jobs, 40% of which are held by women, including leadership roles such as plantation managers.

Communicate

GDST proudly shares its sustainability achievements with students, families, and staff, inspiring future leaders to take climate action. Their work demonstrates how educational institutions can lead on sustainability by:

Offsetting emissions through credible projects.
Supporting initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Empowering women and children globally.