Sustainability
Our plans for 2027
We want to make our websites use less data and help protect nature. We plan to start this programme in February 2027 and share our progress here.
From FlightDeck Aptitude Ltd, the company behind all three sites.
For all three websites
Our plans
What we’re planning to do
We’re starting with three things: explaining the research, reducing unnecessary downloads and keeping you updated.
01Explain the research in plain English
We’ll write short guides about wildlife and the environmental impact of websites. Each guide will link to its sources so you can read more.
The first three guides are below. They explain wildlife statistics, ways to use less data and what to look for in an environmental claim.
Read the guides02Make our websites use less data
We’ll look for oversized images, files that download more than once and features that load before you need them. Then we’ll measure what changes.
The sites still need to be easy to use, accessible and secure. Those things matter when we decide what to change.
Read the web design guidance03Share what we’ve done
We plan to post an update every three months, starting in May 2027. We’ll explain what changed, what we measured and what still needs work.
If something is delayed or doesn’t help, we’ll say so. The updates will stay on this page.
See the datesOne programme for all three sites
FlightDeck Aptitude, Kestrel and Merlin Practice will follow the same plan and share the same updates.
The websites
How we’ll reduce unnecessary downloads
A page can download files you don’t need. We’ll check a selection of pages and practice sessions across our three sites to find out where we can do better.
Check the same page before and after a change
We’ll use the same test conditions so the results can be compared.
- Choose pages to check
- Include pages people read, practice sessions and reports. Record how much data they download.
- Remove extra downloads
- Use images at the right size, reuse files where possible and load extra features when they’re needed.
- Keep the sites easy to use
- Check that changes still work on phones, with a keyboard and with assistive technology.
- Measure the difference
- Repeat the same checks after each change and keep a record of the results.
- Post regular updates
- Every three months, share what changed and what we plan to do next.
- Finish the charity arrangements
- Publish the charity agreement and giving details before the donation part of the programme begins.
Using less data doesn’t tell us the whole impact
Smaller downloads are something we can measure. Calculating their effect on emissions needs more information about devices, networks and servers. We haven’t done that calculation.
Wildlife research
Why we’re interested in protecting nature
73%
Average decline in the size of monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2022.
WWF’s Living Planet Report 2026 follows groups of animals with backbones. This figure does not mean that 73% of all animals have disappeared.
Read WWF’s reportWildlife needs healthy habitats, food and clean water. The reports linked here explain the pressures on nature and the work being done to protect it.
These figures come from the linked research.
Guides
A closer look at the topics behind our plans
Three short guides to wildlife research, website data and environmental claims.
Wildlife research
What does the 73% wildlife figure mean?
It describes changes in monitored groups of animals. It doesn’t count every animal on Earth.
Read guide
Wildlife research
What does the 73% wildlife figure mean?
It describes changes in monitored groups of animals. It doesn’t count every animal on Earth.
Read guideWWF’s Living Planet Report 2026 reports a 73% average decline in the size of monitored vertebrate wildlife populations between 1970 and 2022. Vertebrates are animals with backbones.
This does not mean 73% of all animals have disappeared or 73% of species have become extinct. The figure tracks changes in the populations included in the study.
When you read a wildlife statistic, check which animals were studied, the dates covered and how the researchers measured the change. The original report is linked below.
Read the sourceWebsite data
How can a page use less data?
Start with the files it downloads and ask which ones the visitor needs.
Read guide
Website data
How can a page use less data?
Start with the files it downloads and ask which ones the visitor needs.
Read guideAn image can be much larger than the space it fills on your screen. Using the right size, reusing downloaded files and waiting to load extra features can reduce unnecessary downloads.
To check whether a change helps, measure the same page before and after it, using the same test conditions.
A smaller download doesn’t tell us how much carbon was saved. That depends on the devices, networks and servers involved. The W3C guide below explains more and is still a draft.
Read the sourceEnvironmental claims
How do you check an environmental claim?
Look for what was measured, when it was measured and where the evidence is.
Read guide
Environmental claims
How do you check an environmental claim?
Look for what was measured, when it was measured and where the evidence is.
Read guideCheck what the claim covers. Is it about one feature, a whole product or the company? Look for a date, a test method and an explanation of any comparison.
The CMA’s Green Claims Code says environmental claims should be clear, accurate and backed by evidence. Read the detail as well as the headline.
Check whether the work has happened or is still planned. A donation and a reduction in emissions are different things, so each needs its own explanation.
Read the sourceDates
When we plan to do it
These are our planned dates. We’ll update this page if they change.
Before February 2027
Choose what to measure
Select pages and practice sessions to check. Write down how we’ll test them.
February 2027
Publish our starting point
Share the first measurements and decide which changes to make first.
May 2027, then every three months
Post an update
Explain what changed, show the results and list the work still to do.
By June 2028
Review the first year
Bring the results together and set out the next year’s priorities.
Latest status
Where things stand
We’re still preparing the programme. We’ll add the first measurements here in February 2027, followed by regular updates.
- Programme start
- Planned for February 2027
- First website measurements
- In preparation
- Charity arrangements
- Not agreed yet
- First update
- Planned for May 2027
- First annual review
- Planned by June 2028
Sources
Where to read more
These are the reports and guides we used when putting the plan together. We last checked them on 19 October 2026.
- 01
WWF · October 2026
Living Planet Report 2026
The source of the wildlife figure above, with the research methods and the period it covers.
- 02
WWF-UK · 2024–25 report
Annual reports and accounts
An account of WWF-UK’s work, how it is run and how it spends its money.
- 03
W3C · September 2026 draft
Web Sustainability Guidelines
Ideas for reducing unnecessary data transfers and processing. This guide is still a draft.
- 04
GHG Protocol
Corporate Value Chain Standard
Guidance on measuring emissions from suppliers and other services a business uses.
- 05
Competition and Markets Authority
Green Claims Code
Guidance on making environmental claims that are clear, accurate and supported by evidence.
Questions
A few things you might want to know
When will the programme start?
We plan to start in February 2027 by publishing our first website measurements. The charity arrangements will need to be agreed before the giving part begins.
Do purchases fund a donation now?
No. The programme has not started and we don’t have a charity agreement yet. We’ll publish the giving details here before that changes.
Where can I read the research?
The guides and sources above link to the original reports. You don’t need to sign up to read them.
Will the websites be carbon neutral?
We can’t claim that. Measuring downloads does not tell us the sites’ full emissions, and a donation does not cancel those emissions.
Does this cover all three sites?
Yes. FlightDeck Aptitude, Kestrel and Merlin Practice are run by the same company. They’ll share one programme and one set of updates.
Have a question about the plan?
Get in touch if something here is unclear or you’d like to know more.
Contact usLast reviewed 19 October 2026 · Planned start February 2027