Carbon Reduction Plan
1. Commitment to Achieving Net Zero
Thrive Education Group is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, with an interim target of a 40% reduction against our baseline by 2030.
As a local supply staffing agency serving schools across the Liverpool City Region, our footprint is small but real. Most of it comes from travel: our office team visiting schools and candidates, and staff commuting. We will reduce it by working digitally, matching candidates to schools close to where they live, and choosing coworking spaces powered by renewable energy.
2. Baseline Emissions Footprint
Our baseline year is the financial year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, with total emissions of approximately 7.5 tCO2e. This is the reference point against which all reductions are measured.
We work from a single coworking office at Avenue HQ, 4 St Paul’s Square, Liverpool, for 8 staff, and do not buy energy directly. We therefore have no Scope 1 emissions from buildings, and our only Scope 2 emissions come from charging our electric company car, which is charged at home overnight. We report all 12,000 miles of that car, including personal use, as a conservative approach.
We voluntarily report our share of the building’s energy under Scope 3, as it is part of our real footprint. It is estimated from 10 m² per person (including shared areas) and the CIBSE TM46 general office benchmarks of 95 kWh/m² for electricity and 120 kWh/m² for heating. Commuting assumes half of staff drive around 10 miles a day and half use public transport, on four office days a week.
| Scope | Source | Basis | tCO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | Company vehicles | One fully electric director’s car (zero tailpipe emissions) | 0.00 |
| Scope 2 | Electric company car charging | 12,000 miles (2,000 business, 10,000 personal), about 3,360 kWh | 0.59 |
| Scope 3 | Business travel (staff own cars) | 4,000 miles | 1.08 |
| Scope 3 | Employee commuting | 8 office staff, mixed car and public transport | 2.59 |
| Scope 3 | Waste generated in operations | Office waste, managed by the coworking provider | 0.10 |
| Scope 3 | Upstream leased assets: share of coworking office energy (voluntary) | 80 m²: 7,600 kWh electricity, 9,600 kWh heating | 3.11 |
| Total | 7.47 |
Other Scope 3 categories (upstream and downstream transport and distribution) are not material to a staffing agency, as we do not move goods.
Method: emissions are calculated in line with the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, using the UK Government (DESNZ) 2025 greenhouse gas conversion factors. Where metered data was unavailable, reasonable estimates were made from activity levels.
3. Current Emissions Reporting
This is our first Carbon Reduction Plan, so our current reporting year is the same as our baseline: the financial year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, approximately 7.5 tCO2e. We will report progress against the baseline each year and update this plan at least annually.
The opening of our Manchester office (Hive) will be included from its first full year of operation, and the baseline recalculated if it changes total emissions by more than 5%.
4. Emissions Reduction Targets
We will cut emissions by 40% against our baseline by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050.
| Milestone | Target | tCO2e |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline (2025/26) | Reference year | 7.5 |
| 2028 | 20% reduction | 6.0 |
| 2030 | 40% reduction | 4.5 |
| 2050 | Net Zero | 0 |
If the Manchester office or business growth increases our footprint, we will track emissions per placement as well as in total, so that growth is measured fairly.
5. Carbon Reduction Projects
Our biggest lever is travel, so most of our measures reduce journeys. The following measures are in place now and will continue to reduce emissions:
- Electric company car: our only company vehicle is fully electric, so it produces no tailpipe emissions.
- Digital registration and compliance: candidate registration, right to work checks, references and onboarding are handled online, cutting paper and in-person appointments.
- Digital timesheets and invoicing: no paper timesheets or posted invoices.
- Local matching: we place candidates in schools close to where they live, cutting commuting miles for our workforce and supporting their wellbeing.
- Remote meetings and training: client reviews, candidate interviews and Teach+ pre-course information are delivered online where practical.
- Hybrid working: office staff work flexibly, reducing commuting.
Planned measures over the life of this plan:
| Measure | Expected impact | Target date |
|---|---|---|
| Ask our coworking provider for renewable electricity and annual energy data | Lower and more accurate office emissions | 2027 |
| Charge the electric car on a renewable tariff | Scope 2 near zero | 2027 |
| Cycle to work scheme and EV salary sacrifice | Lower commuting and travel emissions | 2027 |
| Choose a coworking space with renewable energy and strong green credentials for the Manchester office | Avoided emissions from growth | On opening |
| Ask key suppliers for their carbon commitments | Scope 3 engagement | 2028 |
| Annual emissions review with published progress | Accountability | Every year |
6. Declaration and Sign-Off
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in line with PPN 006 and the associated guidance and reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans.
Emissions have been reported and recorded in line with the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, using the appropriate UK Government greenhouse gas conversion factors for company reporting.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are reported in line with SECR requirements, and the required subset of Scope 3 emissions in line with the reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard.
This plan has been reviewed and signed off by the board of directors.
Approved by: Ian Rafferty, CEO and School Partnership Director