Will there be support for zero carbon schools?

What’s the national picture on support for zero carbon schools, and how can individual schools take action themselves? Alex Green, head of the Let’s Go Zero campaign, finds out.

Lowering the carbon emissions of our schools – and helping them prepare for the impact of climate change – is a major challenge. But the rewards of taking action are enormous, too. From lowering energy bills to inspiring students, climate action can make a difference in every classroom.

What’s more, there are lots of practical steps schools can take, from changing up menus and nurturing gardens to saving money with solar panels. There are free support and resources available to help make plans a reality, and students will love getting involved in green projects – which are often a great learning opportunity.

So what’s the national picture on support for zero carbon schools – and how can individual schools call for change, and take action themselves? 

School building upgrades

After winning power this summer, prime minister Keir Starmer declared five missions for the government. They include “transforming the UK into a clean energy superpower” and “breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child”. Zero carbon schools can play a big role in achieving both goals, bringing positive change to our communities.

At the heart of this challenge is our crumbling school buildings. Around 24,000 of them are still in use despite reaching the end of their ‘design-life’ – the length of time they were expected to last for. Many are draughty or poorly insulated, with outdated heating and energy systems. That helps explain why education is the public sector’s largest emitter of carbon from buildings – and why last year energy bills sucked an estimated £1.8 billion from already-stretched school budgets. With significant energy price rises expected this winter, the impact of this problem will only get bigger.

The same aging buildings are also prone to overheating: a growing danger. Global temperatures are expected to rise by at least 2°C, a prospect that’s inevitable if emissions aren’t radically cut soon, which would leave schools in England overheating for one third of the academic year.

Both these problems threaten student learning as well as school finances. Poor-quality buildings also make staff retention and recruitment more difficult, and send a terrible signal about the value we place on education in the UK – how can we expect students to learn, or teachers to teach, if we can’t provide a decent environment for them?

Sustainability is being tackled more in new-build schools – but to achieve our climate goals and create a decent learning environment for all young people, much more work is needed to upgrade existing schools. However, the Department for Education (DfE) estimates that at current rates only 20 per cent of the existing school estate will be retrofitted by 2050.

School retrofit and decarbonisation was a disappointingly weak area across many of the general election manifestos, including Labour’s. More promisingly, the prime minister’s first speech on the steps of Number 10 included a pledge to “rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity [...] brick by brick.”

Even with the best quality education in the world, students cannot learn effectively or safely in schools that are not fit for purpose. Labour’s first budget, coming this autumn, should show that this issue is a priority for infrastructure investment.

Let’s Go Zero calls for action 

How can educational settings accelerate change? By signing up to Let’s Go Zero, the campaign for all schools, colleges and nurseries to be zero carbon. We’re working with the government to find solutions to the problem. And the more schools back the campaign, the stronger our voice as we call for urgent action.

As well as calling for more funding, we’re also pushing for changes that make it easier for schools to finance green building upgrades. Changes like new loan schemes and relaxed borrowing and VAT rules – as well as enhanced clearer guidance for schools.

It’s not clear how quickly new funding and opportunities will be available for schools.

But there are practical and cost-saving steps around energy saving they can take right now. Let’s Go Zero can help with these too. 

Good examples are switch-off campaigns – making sure electrical devices are powered down when not in use. If you have a school eco-club, they can get all your staff and students involved. Switching to more efficient products – like LED lighting – can pay back quickly too.

It also pays to make sure your heating system has been serviced, and is only in use where needed – that it’s not heating empty rooms, coming on too early in the morning or late in the day, or operating during the holidays. 

More ambitious measures will also save cost and energy too: like installing solar panels or, where appropriate, heat pumps. This might seem daunting, but there are specialist companies and community organisations experienced in supporting schools to source, install and run these technologies. Adopting them is an inspiring statement to your students and community – as well as a chance for learning.

If your school is in England and you want to take action, on buildings and energy or any other climate challenge, we recommend contacting your local Let’s Go Zero climate action advisor. Working in regional teams, these advisors offer free support and guidance to schools of every kind. With online consultations and in-person visits, their impact includes helping schools find funding for green projects – and sparking collaboration with other schools.  

Great green ideas and funding 

With support from the Let’s Go Zero climate action advisors, schools across the UK are making cost and carbon savings – and securing financial help to take action. From quick wins to more ambitious projects, there’s lots to be inspired by. 

A close look at morning energy use identified carbon and cost-cutting opportunities for one diocese trust in the West Midlands. Its estates and facilities business partner reported: “After you raised a concern around the timings on the heating system... we have looked at nearly all heating controls of our 22 schools and they are all reaching 20 degrees by 6am. So, we are now addressing this and the impact will be huge for our cost savings.”

Seek out match funding

One Derbyshire school was struggling to find the full £14,000 needed to install solar panels, despite its committed PTA raising half the amount. Let’s Go Zero advisors helped the school secure the rest of the funding from other sources – local experts Hope Valley Community Energy, and grant-giving organisation the Garfield Weston Foundation.

Get help bringing green spaces to life

Advisors have also helped schools revive or improve outdoor spaces. They have unlocked support from sources such as the National Education Nature Park, which has given £10,000 grants to schools across the UK. These grants, and others like them, have  planted the seeds of exciting projects such as new orchards, memorial gardens, ponds and bug hotels.

About the author

Alex Green is the head of Let’s Go Zero for Ashden, a UK climate solutions charity. Alex leads on Let’s Go Zero, a campaign that supports UK schools working together to be zero carbon by 2030. She leads the national Let’s Go Zero climate advisors network and sits on the DfE User Group for their Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy and previously managed Ashden’s sustainable school awards and peer to peer LESS CO2 programme. Alex has a Masters in Environmental Management from the University of Cape Town and previously worked running an environmental business awards scheme for a local authority, supporting small businesses to cut carbon and regulating industry at the Environment Agency. 

Visit letsgozero.org to join the thousands of other schools moving to zero carbon.