Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) reduce emissions and (b) improve energy efficiency in maintained schools in England.

The Department takes its commitment to environment sustainability seriously. In November 2021, the Department updated its school building standards to ensure that all new schools will deliver net-zero carbon in operation. This update also included other sustainability improvements, including targets for increased greening and sustainable water management on school sites. These requirements can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-requirements-part-b-generic-design-brief .

In December 2022 the Department produced guidance to support all schools to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and therefore reduce their carbon emissions. This guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-fe-college-estate.

Additionally, in 2022/23, £447 million of capital funding was made available to eligible schools and sixth form colleges to improve their energy efficiency.