About Us

Sustainability strategy

AQA Education, and its subsidiaries, are committed to making a positive impact through outstanding environmental sustainability performance.

In 2020, we launched our sustainability strategy with an overarching goal to reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 60% against a 2018/19 baseline by 2025/26, which we have exceed, however scope 3 data collection was limited.

We have since extended our scope 3 reporting and have reset a new baseline year of 2025/26.

Our targets are aligned to the Science Based Targets initiative's absolute contraction methodology, with us committed to achieving net zero by:

• Scope 1 by 2035
• Scope 2 by 2030
• Scope 3 before 2050

Key targets

To achieve our initial short-term objectives, we've implemented an action plan with six key areas. Some below actions are already underway or have been implemented whilst others will follow in the coming months and years (this list is not exhaustive):

Partnership and engagement

• share knowledge and expertise or to support staff volunteers in local community projects
• engage employees, customers, associates and key stakeholders through regular communications using internal and external resources
• accredit internal sustainability training to the Carbon Literacy standard.

Waste management and resource use

• maintain zero waste to landfill
• improve recycling and impacts of waste materials for end users
• reduce usage of single-use plastics across all business areas.

Energy and carbon management

• invest in building automation technologies to improve our office space optimisation, reduce energy consumption and increase lifecycle of building plant
• phase out gas usage for heating our owned and solely leased offices.

Sustainable investments

• advance sustainability through our environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment strategy
• make sure that all our investments avoid harm
• integrate ESG factors into our investment processes
• implement an investment screening policy
• reduce total portfolio carbon emissions.

Travel

increase the use of sustainable business travel, defaulting to train travel where travel is essential (exceptions may apply)

• continue to invest in technology to support remote meetings
• undertake regular employee commuting surveys and promoting active and sustainable travel options to our offices
• made an electric vehicle lease scheme available to staff to reduce impacts on employee commuting and will monitor the schemes impact.

Sustainable procurement

• undertake impact assessments and broaden carbon reporting within our supply chain
• engage 75% of top tier suppliers (by emissions) by 2030 to set science-based reduction targets, and the remaining 25% by 2035
• secured 100% renewable electricity contracts for our solely occupied offices
• work with suppliers to provide alternative sustainable products and phase out the use of single-use plastics within our exam processes
• provide fresh and seasonal food in our on-site restaurants.