GreenVET pathway

Online tools to calculate school's consumption

Using online tools to measure a school’s resource consumption—such as energy, water, waste, and travel—helps identify environmental impacts, supports data-driven decision-making, and engages the whole school in sustainability planning.

Key People and Partners Involved

School administrators and facility managers
Eco-coordinators and teachers
Students (especially in STEM or eco clubs)
Municipal partners or NGOs
IT support staff or data entry teams

Description of the practice

Online consumption calculators allow schools to assess their environmental impact by tracking energy use, water consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions from transport and food. These tools offer clear insights and often generate reports or recommendations

By visualizing real data, schools can identify priority areas for improvement"such as heating efficiency, reducing plastic use, or encouraging sustainable commuting. Students can take part in audits, analyze results in class, and propose solutions

Using calculators fosters transparency, supports applications for eco-certifications (like Eco-Schools), and allows progress tracking over time. It transforms sustainability into an evidence-based, participatory practice embedded in school culture

Where it’s being implemented

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource.

The GAIA project created a network of 25 pilot schools across Greece, Italy, and Sweden equipped with IoT infrastructure (sensors and meters) to monitor energy use, indoor/outdoor conditions and other environmental variables. gaia-project.eu he data is collected in teaching rooms and common areas to help schools understand how resources are used and where efficiency improvements are possible.
https://gaia-project.eu/index.php/en/trial-schools/
The climate calculator was jointly developed by Greenpeace and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg (ifeu), with contributions from 15 pilot schools across Germany. It is a free online tool that allows schools and daycare centers to calculate their resource consumption in areas such as heating, electricity, water, mobility, food, materials, and waste. The results make the potential for savings and sustainability improvements visible to the entire school community.
https://co2-schulrechner.greenpeace.de/willkommen
Provides downloadable audit templates and carbon calculators for schools participating in their environmental programs.
https://greenschoolsireland.org/resources/

Impact and Results

Increased student engagement in environmental monitoring
Greater success in obtaining green certifications
Community awareness of school's environmental efforts
Long-term cost savings through
Clear data on school's resource usage and emissions

Implementation Tips and Insights

Start with one domain (e.g., energy or waste)
Assign a team (teachers + students) to input and track data
Use historical utility bills to compare progress
Display results publicly to motivate action
Link findings to classroom learning (math, geography, science)

Useful Links and Resources

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource. Footprint calcultator
https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/