Best Foot Forward

Climate change is a fundamental issue for Oxfam which is helping people to cope with severe climate events worldwide, and pressing for the urgency of global emissions reductions. Oxfam GB commissioned BFF to support its own internal emissions reduction activities by tackling one of its most complex areas: procurement. Working closely with an internal team, BFF assessed Oxfam’s investment in products for its shops, emergency equipment and all of the services needed to run the organisation. Following an extensive data collection process, an emissions profile was developed which highlighted the impact of each procurement area, and those investments with the highest carbon intensity. The insight from this progressive project enables Oxfam to make informed decisions on how it can best reduce its own emissions, while continuing to effectively fight poverty. Oxfam commented: “Best Foot Forward took a large, complex project and made it manageable. Their advice on how to approach the task had a balance of pragmatic and strategic thinking, and their commitment to the detail and integrity of the project was highly appreciated.”

This study was commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and estimated the total carbon footprint of the GLA’s IT estate. BFF worked with Computacenter and reviewed the energy consumption and embodied carbon of the GLA’s 700-plus desktops, 180 servers, printers, laptops and monitors. This revealed an IT carbon footprint of almost 430 tCO₂ per year, with in use emissions representing 55% of this total. David Munn, Head of IT at the GLA explained: “We want to ensure that our IT services are both cost-effective and environmentally efficient. By including future IT projects in the scope of the study, we were able to identify what new technologies would give us the best financial and environmental return on investment.” As part of the audit, BFF therefore calculated how five proposed IT projects would impact the GLA’s carbon footprint. Virtualisation came out as the greatest carbon payback per pound invested, followed by video-conferencing, hosting, thin client and multi-function devices. Learn more from recorded interviews with the project team.

The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is the statutory advisor on sustaining natural beauty, wildlife and the opportunity for outdoor enjoyment in Wales. BFF was commissioned by CCW to revisit a footprint done by us in 2004 - and additionally develop detailed footprint reduction scenarios that explored the effectiveness of a broad range of environmental policies in areas such as business travel and building energy use. Based on this analysis CCW chose a selection of policies which will enable them to meet their footprint reduction targets in 2012/13 and beyond. In addition, CCW are using BFF's new Footprinter™ software to internally monitor progress against these targets.

Hertfordshire Constabulary polices an area of 632 square miles, with a population of well over a million. To achieve this the force employs more than 4,000 police and support staff at 40+ sites across the county. BFF was commissioned to calculate a base year carbon and ecological footprint – and describe the scale and profile of emissions from a wide range of sources including energy use, procurement, operational travel, commuting and waste management. The base year information was used to guide the development of footprint reduction policies at a departmental level – a process facilitated by BFF. Finally, the project had the additional aim of embedding environmental accounting capacity within the constabulary so that staff can calculate future footprints using BFF’s Footprinter™ carbon accounting tool.

Hertfordshire County Council provides services to over one million residents including schools, libraries, care services, highway maintenance and transport services. The Council wished to measure the climate change and resource use impacts of all of its functions, and commissioned BFF to conduct carbon and ecological footprint analyses and deliver a software solution (Footprinter™) to enable ongoing measurement by the Council. Our work went beyond the present requirements for National Indicator 185 to also show full supply chain emissions and included commuting of Council staff. John Rumble from the Council stated: “We recognised the challenge of the assessment, but the results provide a true reflection of the emissions we can influence, and the Footprinter tool enables us to closely manage these on an ongoing basis.”  This is the first study of its type and enables Hertfordshire County Council to adopt a sophisticated, holistic approach to managing emissions.

Orbit Group is one of the largest housing groups in the UK, employing over 1,800 people and managing thousands of homes and supported housing. Orbit Group has been working with consultants Beyond Green to develop a far-reaching sustainability strategy, and BFF was commissioned to supplement this work with detailed carbon and ecological footprint assessments of three of the Group’s office operations. The footprinting process was explained to the Green Team, and the results enabled members to understand the Group’s emissions profile, compare offices and develop targeted carbon management plans. Clive Webb from Orbit Group commented: “Carrying out the footprinting project has been a really useful learning process for us as an organisation with the results helping to focus our efforts into areas we may not have otherwise addressed. I would like to personally thank the BFF team for all of their help and support during the project."

CABE (The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) commissioned BFF to undertake a second Carbon and Ecological Footprint analysis to compare the organisation’s recent footprint against our first study completed in 2007. CABE has instituted a number of carbon reduction plans in various areas of office activity and over two years has been able to reduce their total carbon footprint by 9%, or by 32% per member of staff.  The most effective actions to reduce the footprint were: a significant reduction of flights for business travel, a decrease in electricity consumption and switching from virgin to recycled paper. The value of our iterative footprinting process is highlighted by CABE’s Huw Jackson “Best Foot Forward’s metrics helped us to firstly understand where our impacts lay, then to target reductions and ultimately demonstrate a real reduction in our emissions”

Tube Lines is working on behalf of London Underground to implement a ‘Low Carbon Station’ initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the operation of its underground stations. BFF was commissioned, in partnership with Green2020 and Decarbonize, by Tube Lines to perform an assessment including total carbon savings and carbon payback of seventeen proposed low carbon technology solutions. These include improvements in energy efficiency, demand management and the installation of renewable energy technologies. Working closely with Tube Lines’ engineers, potential savings compared to existing operations were calculated for selected underground stations and our study is now being used to inform operators about preferential actions to reduce emissions across the network.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) gives grants to projects involving the local, regional and national heritage of the UK using money from the National Lottery for Good Causes. The HLF already requires organisations to report on environmental considerations as part of the application, and for this project BFF was commissioned to explore the feasibility to introduce carbon accounting as part of the application process. We identified the potential for applicants to forecast data on building energy use and visitor transport modes which can be converted to greenhouse gas emissions using an online calculator, such as the trial HLF Footprinter™ developed as part our work. Applicants would be able to use the tool to model alternative low carbon solutions, and the HLF could use footprint results as part of their assessment process

The Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit and independent organisation, funded by the government and the private sector, which provides free impartial advice to help households reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The Energy Saving Trust is reviewing its suite of customer facing tools and required an examination of current footprinting tools and how they may be developed in the future to provide visitors to their website with the most accurate and comprehensive information.  The Energy Saving Trust commissioned BFF to undertake a thorough review of carbon footprint calculators available for consumers and households. The review covered over 30 online calculators assessing them in terms of user attributes and technical ability. The study then assessed likely drivers and how they will shape the future of such tools.

AMEC are a FTSE100 company providing services to the world’s energy, power and process industries. AMEC have developed a carbon management programme designed to reduce the carbon intensity of its global operations. BFF were approached and commissioned by AMEC to provide a carbon management tool to capture, target, manage and report greenhouse gas information from its many business units worldwide. BFF delivered AMEC’s requirements with a tailored version of BFF’s web-based Footprinter™ software. AMEC  Footprinter™ captures office and site footprints at the local level, and can aggregate results to the corporate level. Linzie Forrester, AMEC Sustainability Programme Manager, said: “AMEC Footprinter™ will be integral in reducing our carbon footprint. It is already giving insight into where our business has both carbon and cost hotspots”.

Cloud Nine designs and constructs energy-efficient timber buildings. The Cloud Nine process involves offsite building in Poland followed by assembly at clients’ plots. Although the operational energy performance of the buildings is well-understood, Cloud Nine commissioned a scoping study from BFF to investigate the climate change impacts of production including the embodied carbon of materials and emissions from transporting finished products from Central Europe to the UK. Our study demonstrated that transport emissions are relatively small compared to the embodied carbon of common construction materials. By following PAS2050 accounting rules we also found that timber buildings perform well because of the valuable carbon sequestration role of long-lasting wood.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a well-provisioned local energy supply, low cost energy and the highest per capita Ecological Footprint in the world.  To support emissions reductions efforts from the user-end, EWS-WWF commissioned Touchpoints Consulting and BFF to produce two calculators for public-engagement on energy use in households, with a goal of informing the public and encouraging engagement through their individual pledges for household emissions reduction. BFF produced a detailed model of energy use in UAE homes. This was incorporated into two web calculators, one for quick assessments, and a more detailed application showing reduction options and financial cost-saving opportunities. These calculators underpin the Heroes of the UAE campaign.

Encos Ltd is developing a variety of construction materials including bricks from recycled, 'waste' products. Encos Ltd is based on work from the University of Leeds and supported by the intellectual property development business, IP Group plc. Encos Ltd commissioned BFF to investigate the GHG emissions from their products compared to industry standards, including the embodied carbon of the raw materials and alternative kiln-firing regimes. The results are being used to support the technical development goals and the business case for producing low-carbon bricks.

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is in no doubt that the continuing prosperity of the South East region will depend critically on delivering a sustainable, low-carbon, competitive economy. SEEDA commissioned a consortium led by BFF (with Levitt-Therival and Colin Tingle) to research and disseminate the potential for such development. We developed a hardcopy and online ‘No-Nonsense Guide’ to support the South East growth areas (referred to collectively as the ‘Diamonds’) in taking action to reduce their Ecological Footprint. The Guide was backed up by a detailed, novel evidence base, developed by BFF using REAP data and other official sources, and an online benchmarking tool.

Ihobe is a publicly-owned company created to support the achievement of the Basque Country’s environmental policy targets. Its main activities include providing advice to industry and local authorities on issues such as waste, pollution and product innovation. Ihobe commissioned BFF to develop a footprinting tool, Ihobe k-aztarna Footprinter™, to facilitate action on climate change in the industrial sector of the Basque economy.  Footprinter allows companies to calculate the footprint of their organisation – or products they manufacture. Using the tool’s scenario function companies can also compare different carbon reduction actions.

In November 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government began a consultation on their new Sustainable Development Scheme One Wales: One Planet. As part of the consultation exercise three events were held to present the scheme and allow consultees to feed back their thoughts and opinions. As Wales' ecological footprint is one of the WAG's headline indicators of sustainable development , the Welsh Assembly commissioned BFF to footprint the consultation events using Event Footprinter. The lessons learned at each consultation influenced subsequent events and will influence decision-making by the Welsh Assembly when hosting future events.

Balfour Beatty is one of the UK’s leading PFI contractors and in 2007 the company completed the construction of a new school building for Portland School as part of the Bassetlaw Schools Project. Balfour Beatty commissioned BFF to produce a carbon and ecological footprint of the construction and operations of the school. We found that the footprint of construction is equivalent to three years of school operations, and our results are now forming part of a carbon management system to measure, monitor and reduce the environmental impact of the building. The results of the study are expected to influence developments and decisions made by Balfour Beatty as part of future education sector contracts.

BRITA manufactures water filtration products for household and commercial applications. Sustainability is a core pillar of the company, and so its UK office in Oxfordshire worked with BFF to measure the carbon footprint of its operations. The baseline footprint showed that the highest impact comes from employee travel, and BRITA is using the findings to develop the site’s sustainability strategy and specifically target reductions in travel emissions. BRITA is committed to ongoing emissions monitoring, and is using BFF’s Office Footprinter^™ to internally calculate the site’s footprint in the future.

The Guinness Partnership is a housing association that works to develop and maintain affordable homes across the UK. The Partnership recognises that its operations have an impact on the environment and is developing a Sustainability Strategy to mitigate its future impacts. BFF contributed to this strategy by assessing the carbon and ecological footprints of three of the main office sites. The assessment included profiles of one volunteer from each site to determine their workplace and personal footprints, which demonstrated the impacts of their daily activities and lifestyle choices. The footprint results are being used to communicate internally and externally, and to guide ongoing reduction activities.

The InterContinental Hotels Group – host to over 160 million stays per year – commissioned BFF to provide sustainability metrics on the environmental impact of accommodating their guests. We assessed the carbon and ecological footprints of a sample of their hotels from around the world, and found an almost equal split of emissions between Scopes 1 & 2, and Scope 3. We allocated impacts on a ‘per room night’ basis to allow comparisons between hotels, and found that energy use in the best performing hotel resulted in emissions of 22kg CO₂ per room per night, with an average across the group of 59kg CO₂ per room per night. Our metrics were the key first step that allowed IHG to understand the footprint of its operations, and strategies are now being developed to “make a night with IHG more carbon efficient”.  

Crown Paints is a leading UK producer of paints and coatings, and the company commissioned BFF to develop an integrated sustainability strategy to maximise the eco-efficiency of its operations. BFF worked closely with the R&D team at Crown Paints to investigate the full product lifecycle and identify opportunities for reducing the carbon and ecological footprints of its leading products. Our study considered emissions across the production process including raw materials, energy, packaging, and transport, as well as how paint use by consumers can be optimized. The results from the study are forming the basis to Crown Paints’ future approach to sustainability.

California-based Fetzer Vineyards commissioned BFF to compare the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions associated with manufacturing and transporting existing bottles (2008) against the manufacturing and transport emissions of new, lightweight bottles (2009). The results from the analysis show that there will be greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of about 14% or 2,985 US tons CO₂e from switching to lighter glass bottles in 2009.

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) is an internationally-acclaimed architectural practice which seeks to incorporate sustainability issues into all their projects. RSHP was keen to address similar considerations in the operation of its own offices. The practice commissioned BFF to follow ISO14064 to assess the carbon footprint of its London office to obtain a baseline against which to develop a strategy for reducing its environmental impacts.

Ecover are a leading company in the field of sustainability and wished to conduct detailed ecological footprints of three of their leading products: washing powder, washing up liquid and toilet cleaner. Ecover appointed us to undertake both ecological and carbon footprints of the full product lifecycles including raw materials, manufacture and distribution. We also provided a broader sustainability assessment, and together the results from these reports are being incorporated into Ecover’s constantly evolving sustainability strategy.

The 16th Annual Public Health Forum was held over two days at the Arena & Convention Centre Liverpool in April 2008. The UK Public Health Association (UKPHA), who organised the conference, commissioned BFF to assess the carbon and ecological footprint of delegates’ travel,  accommodation and food consumption as well as waste management, energy and material use at the venue. The results are being used by UKPHA and ACC Liverpool staff to develop their sustainability policies.

Sheppard Robson is one of the largest architectural practices in the UK and has won major awards for design and innovation. Sheppard Robson commissioned BFF to assess the carbon and ecological footprints of their annual office activities in London and Manchester. The results from the study have enabled them to develop a strategy to monitor and reduce their footprint in the future.

Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. Ofcom commissioned us to undertake a full carbon and ecological footprint analysis of all offices, publications, data storage and vehicle fleets. The results from the study are being used to develop targets for Ofcom to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions year on year.

Sunderland based people and property business, Gentoo, is aiming to create a benchmark to measure and therefore effectively manage their environmental impact in order to contribute to the UK’s Carbon Reduction Commitment. BFF was commissioned by Gentoo to carry out a comprehensive footprint assessment (both carbon and ecological) of its entire business as part of its ongoing work aimed at improving the efficiency of the Group and lessening its impact on the environment.

Connection launched the new IS chair which maximises recycled content, and has an extended warranty to increase the effective asset life. Our carbon and ecological footprint assessment showed these design changes markedly reduce the footprint compared to a typical office chair.

Local authorities are increasingly required to control organisational emissions and lead the management of emissions authority-wide. Luton Borough Council appointed BFF to undertake a holistic carbon and ecological footprint analysis of its corporate activities and the region as a whole. This included the assessment of the effectiveness of regional transport policies and where the council should concentrate efforts to meet corporate emissions targets under the new Carbon Reduction Commitment.

The Forestry Commission is hosting increasing numbers of music events on its land, and is acutely aware of the potential impacts of these activities. BFF was selected to examine the events management process and develop a tool to enable footprint assessments of future events.

The carbon dioxide emissions from paper production and distribution are well known, but how do these compare with emissions from the electronic delivery of scientific journals? BFF worked with Reed Elsevier to compare delivery channels for 'Fuel' journal and help inform the company's future publishing strategies. One of the findings was that end user behaviour is critical to the overall impact, but as yet very limited data exists on this aspect of publishing.

The ARENA Network Carbon Reduction Program has been established to assist small-to-medium-sized enterprises across Northern Ireland with their energy consumption. ARENA Network—the environmental arm of Business in the Community— commissioned BFF to provide a footprinting application for use by SMEs engaged with the Program. We developed Footprinter™ NI and it is now freely available to users on the Program’s website.

National Express wanted to compare the carbon footprint of travelling between London and Edinburgh by different modes. The model BFF developed accounted for distances, emissions factors and occupancy rates of travel by plane, car and train. The results were used to underpin the national advertising campaign from National Express to guarantee their claims were transparent and justifiable.

The Centre for Remanufacturing & Reuse commissioned us to compare the carbon footprints of refilling cartridges compared to replacement with new equivalents. We looked at the full lifecycle, and found that refilling is the better option. The full report is available by contacting the Centre directly.

There has been significant interest and debate in the process of remanufacturing - or 'retreading' - vehicle tyres. We were commissioned by the government-funded Centre for Remanufacturing & Reuse to analyse the retreading of light commercial vehicle tyres. The study considered material inputs, manufacturing energy, distribution and end-of-life for both tyre types. The results showed retreading is more carbon efficient. The full report is available by contacting the Centre directly.

Councils in the UK are under pressure to increase their operating efficiency. The Department for Communities and Local Government commissioned us to assess council services and compare the carbon footprints of electronic and other information delivery channels by Sunderland City Council. The results demonstrated that electronic delivery is more carbon efficient, and extrapolating the findings estimated potential annual savings of up to 14,000t carbon dioxide if all councils moved towards electronic delivery.

We have worked with Pacific Interiors on a number of footprinting projects, and this tool presents some of our findings in a simple, engaging interface. The calculator helps users understand the environmental significance of refit frequencies, asset lifespans and operational efficiencies.

The environmental impact of FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) packaging is often scrutinised. Wine bottles are one of the heaviest packaging items, so some retailers are moving to PET in an effort to reduce product weight. Our work for WRAP assessed the carbon balance of glass and PET wine bottles filled in the UK. There are a number of variables which determine the overall carbon efficiencies, and are all detailed in the publicly available report.

The government-funded Envirowise programme is dedicated to improving resource efficiency in UK businesses. BFF was commissioned to develop a simple tool to demonstrate the relationship between resource use, costs and carbon efficiency. The resulting 'Envirowise Indicator' can be used by visitors to their website.

Duchy Originals is a market leader in responsible food production. BFF was contracted to supplement their existing work by calculating the ecological footprint of several of their products, and identify 'hotspots' where the largest impacts lie. BFF has also been working with Duchy Originals to further incorporate sustainability across their business.

FIRA is one of the leading trade associations for the furniture industry. BFF was commissioned to develop ‘Furniture Footprinter’ – an easy-to-use web-based tool which allows manufacturers to calculate the carbon and ecological footprints of their products. Furniture Footprinter covers the full lifecycle of products and can be used as a design-support tool.

Fitting out commercial and retail spaces has been identified as highly resource intensive. We worked with Pacific Interiors to assess the material flows, transport and energy demands of these activities and so derive the footprint for an office fit-out. The analysis suggested ‘lower carbon’ fit-out options where savings could be made.

We have completed numerous office footprints and wanted to develop a tool for clients to have in-house to enable ongoing footprint measurment. 'Office Footprinter' is the first completed product in the Footprinter series, and is being used by a number of clients for tracking Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Office Footprinter is a subscription-based model although a free trial version is available on the dedicated Footprinter website.

BFF worked with the University of Warwick, HDRA and Robert Gordon University to assess the ‘environmental footprint’ of twelve horticulture crops and commodities, including potatoes, carrots, strawberries and milk. The project assessed the environmental, social and economic impact of horticultural production. The ‘environmental footprint‘ was assessed using six indicators: the ecological footprint, toxicity, global warming potential, eutrophication potential, water and labour use, on a ‘per hectare, per year’ basis. BFF was asked to provide ecological footprint analyses of the twelve crops/commodities, which were then included in an overall sustainability assessment integrating all six environmental indicators. The biggest environmental footprints were for the protected crops (lettuce and strawberries) and milk, and the smallest were for winter wheat, lamb and sugar beet. The report is available for viewing here.

This study analysed the operations of three Wildlife Trusts and the RSWT headquarters in Newark, for 2006-7. Two environmental impact indicators were calculated for several components of Trust activities: ecological footprints in terms of global hectares, and CO₂ emissions, both direct and embodied. Results enabled benchmarking of performance between Trusts, normalised to take account of variations in staff numbers and areas of land managed. The footprint figures report office-based and land-based activities, and the future goal is to minimise these impacts while still delivering the land and habitat conservation services which are core to all RSWT activities.

CABE (The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) plays a key role in raising awareness of sustainability across the industry. CABE wanted to manage its own footprint, so commissioned BFF to calculate the ecological and carbon footprint of its office activities.

The Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion has test emissions of 99g/CO₂ per km. BFF calculated the emission savings from driving the Polo Bluemotion over a year instead of the average car in its class, and compared the figure to savings from recycling paper, drinks cans and plastic bags. Advertising campaigns were run in print, online and on television.

In the music world there has been debate over the environmental footprint of music bands jetting around the world. Radiohead were concerned about their impact, and commissioned BFF to footprint their tours in the US. The study drew wide boundaries – including fans' travel, merchandising, waste and energy – and demonstrated that the overriding impact is from the travel of thousands of fans. Radiohead is now taking steps to help their fans minimse their travel emissions, as well as reducing the band's direct footprint.

Trócaire is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland with its head office in Maynooth and international offices around the world. Trócaire campaigns on climate change issues and wished to carefully assess its own impacts as an organisation. BFF calculated the carbon and ecological footprints of three Irish and three international Trócaire offices as well as all international travel. Our findings helped Trócaire understand the relative impacts of different activities, and allowed it to start tackling the major challenge for an international aid agency of minimising air travel.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) used BFF to calculate the total carbon footprint of its HQ offices. The results were used by their Sustainable Development Team to investigate opportunities for BERR to target plans to reduce its footprint. BFF was invited to share the findings with Whitehall's Sustainable Development Policy Working Group.

Orangebox was ahead of the curve in recognizing the importance of minimising the carbon intensity of its products. In 2006 we worked closely with the production team to assess the carbon and ecological footprints of a range of chairs, and we ran scenarios on possible reduction opportunities from material substitution. Further work included the implementation of a workshop for sharing knowledge between Orangebox staff and suppliers, BFF, and specialist eco-designers.

The CBI plays a pivotal role representing UK businesses, and closely follows the climate change debate. BFF was commissioned to undertake a footprint of the CBI's own operations to demonstrate where its own impacts lie. The results influenced their coporate carbon reduction strategy.

The South West region benefits from an outstanding landscape and rich cultural heritage which attract over 20 million visits by tourists each year. The regional government is acutely aware of its need to preserve the natural environment whilst encouraging economic growth and improving quality of life. In order to make informed decisions and develop effective policies, local decision makers first needed to understand the current environmental position. BFF met this need by completing ‘Stepping Forward’, a resource flow and ecological footprint analysis of the South West.

The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) manages a number of rural estates and National Nature Reserves. BFF was approached by CCW to consider the impact of its utility usage, but our wider study showed the highest emissions actually come from material inputs and staff transport. CCW used these results to target emissions reduction actions.

The National Health Service (NHS) is one of the world’s largest employers, and its size and function necessitate intensive resource use. BFF’s ‘Material Health’ study investigates the mass balance and ecological footprint of the NHS in England and Wales - the first time a measure of this kind had been attempted. The objective of the study was to influence future environmental policy while supporting the NHS’s primary purpose of improving the health of the nation. The Material Health report has been broadly received as an insightful and sophisticated analysis of a highly complex organisation.

We have been training organisations and individuals on the ecological footprint since 2004. Over 300 people have passed through the training course, which is delivered from our Oxford offices and externally for clients. The course explains the principle of ecological footprinting, and provides opportunities for practical application of the methodology with a series of case studies.

This pioneering study was commissioned by IWM as part of the Biffa Programme on Sustainable Resource Use. The study assessed the resource flows and ecological footprint of Greater London with the aim of providing an evidence base with which to influence policy. The report was welcomed by the Mayor of London as “particularly important because it is the first such analysis of a major world city”. The 'City Limits' report has been widely lauded, and now forms part of the curriculum in London schools.