Schools in England must have a Climate Action Plan in place by September 2025, as mandated by the UK’s Department for Education (DfE), with the deadline fast approaching. In its 2022 Climate and Sustainability Strategy, the government laid out a multi-pronged approach to ensure that the education sector is also tackling climate change. Along with a Climate Action Plan, schools must appoint a sustainability lead to champion the Plan. In this article, we’re summarising what schools need to know and how to get started.
Who has to comply and what are the requirements?
Early years settings, schools, multi-academy trusts, colleges, and universities are all required to comply. While the government Strategy outlined many topics, the most pressing deadline for schools is September 2025. In more detail, education settings must:
- Create a Climate Action Plan. This is a comprehensive strategy that details how a school will work to decarbonise and improve its energy efficiency in line with achieving the UK’s net zero goals. Action Plans can include taking steps such as improving heating and cooling systems, improving infrastructure and insulation, and educating staff and students on the climate emergency.
- Appoint a sustainability lead. The role of the sustainability lead is to drive forward both action and awareness for the school. Along with developing the Climate Action Plan, the sustainability lead will typically also monitor and report progress, build community engagement, and, in schools, integrate sustainability into the curriculum.
Why does this matter now?
Recent evidence published by the DfE highlights increasing disruption to learning from extreme heat and flooding, with the government piloting climate adaptation in schools. Future predictions show that the equivalent of more than 8 days of classroom learning could be lost due to unbearably high classroom temperatures, unless adaptations are made.
Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said, “Sustaining a safe and nurturing school environment is very difficult without a stable climate. Action and investment is needed by governments both to tackle climate change and support schools to prevent and mitigate the impact of extreme heat and flooding, for example through investment in things like solar panels, improved ventilation and insulation, and measures to ensure buildings are watertight.”
Now, they’re strengthening the case for energy upgrades, ventilation, flood resilience and on-site generation with CAPs.
What resources are available to support the education sector in achieving net zero?
The Department for Education has created the Sustainability Support for Education, a free online resource to ensure that schools have access to accurate, correct information. The site is laid out to help sustainability leads and teams structure their Climate Action Plans step-by-step, as well as categorising common questions by topic. Information can be filtered based on teaching age, priorities, how far you’ve progressed already, estate, and more.
What happens if schools do not meet the September 2025 deadline?
The DfE has signalled that progress will be reported from 2025 onwards. While no new sanction regime has been announced, the visibility of delivery is increasing. This means that schools without a CAP and named lead risk negative attention and missed opportunities for funding and savings.
Get started on your Climate Action Plan
Wondering what the best first steps are when it comes to a Climate Action Plan? Our Energy and Compliance Consultants at Sustainable Energy First can offer specialised support in targeting your net zero goals. Whether it’s greening your energy supply, or completing an energy audit, our team can help you sift through the information to get started.
Get in touch with one of our experts today for a free, no-obligations conversation.
Looking to develop your School Climate Action Plan? Get in touch for a no-obligations chat with one of our specialists at Sustainable Energy First.