Schools: Carbon Emissions
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department is projected to spend on ultra-low carbon measures for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools by 2030.
Answered by Stephen Morgan
The department is committed to supporting the UK net-zero carbon targets. Since 2021, the department’s own building standards require that all new school buildings we deliver are net-zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change to between 2 and 4 degrees temperature increase. The costs of meeting net-zero are within the overall construction costs for each school and not separately identified.
Decisions on which projects to prioritise with funding are primarily taken at a local level. For the 2025/26 financial year, the department has increased funding to improve the condition of the estate to £2.1 billion, up from £1.8 billion in 2024/25. Details of capital funding are published on GOV.UK.
Capital funding beyond the 2025/26 financial year will be set out following the next phase of the spending review.
Schools, along with other public bodies, have also been able to access funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Details of projects funded are also available on GOV.UK.
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