Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the cost of retro-fitting the maintained school estate to improve energy efficiency.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has not made an estimate of the percentage of maintained schools that will be retrofitted with carbon neutral schemes by 2050.
The Department’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy includes four strategic aims, one of which is ‘Net zero: reducing direct and indirect emissions from education and care buildings, driving innovation to meet legislative targets and providing opportunities for children and young people to engage practically in the transition to net zero'.
The strategy sets out the Department’s approach to retrofit as innovate, test, and invest. By piloting retrofit, the Department can determine the best technology and the best value for money approach. The Department wants to ensure the right technology is used before rolling out at scale.
The Schools Commercial Decarbonisation Project aims to pilot and test initiatives that will support schools to improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, helping them to achieve net zero. The Department is also currently testing low cost, high impact interventions under the Resilient School Programme. The data and evidence gathered through this work will shape future delivery.
This includes the replacement of high carbon intensity heat sources through piloting energy pods, testing the feasibility of replacing school boilers with ground source or air source heat pumps, air quality monitoring and learning from the GenZero research and biophilic prototype school.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what school capital funding streams are available to improve the sustainability of maintained schools in England.
Answered by Nick Gibb
As committed to in the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, the Department will produce a progress report on the implementation of this strategy. The report is anticipated to be published in December 2023.
Accountability arrangements are already in place through the Department’s official governance.
£170 million has been allocated to the Sustainability and Climate Change portfolio between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Of this, £138 million (81%) is part of the Department’s innovate, test, invest process to identify measures to make education buildings more sustainable or more resilient to climate change. This will ensure evidence is at the heart of decision making.
The remaining 19% is focused on cross cutting initiatives to drive systems change, including the National Education Nature Park, support to schools and colleges to put in place climate action plans and setting up systems to assess the risk of climate change and report emissions.
The Department also continues to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help schools and colleges access the £1.4 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to improve sustainability. From October 2022, up to £635 million has been made available through Phase 3b of the scheme for installing low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, with a minimum of 30% going to schools and colleges. This will help to cut emissions and save on energy bills. Phase 3b closed on 31 October 2022 and Phase 3c is expected to open for applications in autumn 2023.
New school buildings delivered by the Department, such as through the School Rebuilding Programme, are designed and fully funded to be net zero carbon in operation and more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Capital funding is also allocated every year to improve the condition of school buildings, including improving energy efficiency. The Department allocated £1.8 billion for financial year 2023/24, including funding for Local Authorities to allocate to their maintained schools.
In 2022 to 2023, eligible schools and sixth-form colleges received an allocation from an additional £447 million of capital funding to improve energy efficiency. This is part of an additional £500 million of capital funding for schools and further education institutions in England.
Capital allocations are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department has allocated to implementing the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy.
Answered by Nick Gibb
As committed to in the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, the Department will produce a progress report on the implementation of this strategy. The report is anticipated to be published in December 2023.
Accountability arrangements are already in place through the Department’s official governance.
£170 million has been allocated to the Sustainability and Climate Change portfolio between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Of this, £138 million (81%) is part of the Department’s innovate, test, invest process to identify measures to make education buildings more sustainable or more resilient to climate change. This will ensure evidence is at the heart of decision making.
The remaining 19% is focused on cross cutting initiatives to drive systems change, including the National Education Nature Park, support to schools and colleges to put in place climate action plans and setting up systems to assess the risk of climate change and report emissions.
The Department also continues to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help schools and colleges access the £1.4 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to improve sustainability. From October 2022, up to £635 million has been made available through Phase 3b of the scheme for installing low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, with a minimum of 30% going to schools and colleges. This will help to cut emissions and save on energy bills. Phase 3b closed on 31 October 2022 and Phase 3c is expected to open for applications in autumn 2023.
New school buildings delivered by the Department, such as through the School Rebuilding Programme, are designed and fully funded to be net zero carbon in operation and more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Capital funding is also allocated every year to improve the condition of school buildings, including improving energy efficiency. The Department allocated £1.8 billion for financial year 2023/24, including funding for Local Authorities to allocate to their maintained schools.
In 2022 to 2023, eligible schools and sixth-form colleges received an allocation from an additional £447 million of capital funding to improve energy efficiency. This is part of an additional £500 million of capital funding for schools and further education institutions in England.
Capital allocations are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that environmental sustainability is prioritised when constructing new academies and free schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
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.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
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.
Answered by Nick Gibb
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.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to publish an update on progress made against the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy commitments.
Answered by Nick Gibb
As committed to in the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, the Department will produce a progress report on the implementation of this strategy. The report is anticipated to be published in December 2023.
Accountability arrangements are already in place through the Department’s official governance.
£170 million has been allocated to the Sustainability and Climate Change portfolio between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Of this, £138 million (81%) is part of the Department’s innovate, test, invest process to identify measures to make education buildings more sustainable or more resilient to climate change. This will ensure evidence is at the heart of decision making.
The remaining 19% is focused on cross cutting initiatives to drive systems change, including the National Education Nature Park, support to schools and colleges to put in place climate action plans and setting up systems to assess the risk of climate change and report emissions.
The Department also continues to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help schools and colleges access the £1.4 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to improve sustainability. From October 2022, up to £635 million has been made available through Phase 3b of the scheme for installing low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, with a minimum of 30% going to schools and colleges. This will help to cut emissions and save on energy bills. Phase 3b closed on 31 October 2022 and Phase 3c is expected to open for applications in autumn 2023.
New school buildings delivered by the Department, such as through the School Rebuilding Programme, are designed and fully funded to be net zero carbon in operation and more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Capital funding is also allocated every year to improve the condition of school buildings, including improving energy efficiency. The Department allocated £1.8 billion for financial year 2023/24, including funding for Local Authorities to allocate to their maintained schools.
In 2022 to 2023, eligible schools and sixth-form colleges received an allocation from an additional £447 million of capital funding to improve energy efficiency. This is part of an additional £500 million of capital funding for schools and further education institutions in England.
Capital allocations are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans for the accountability arrangements for the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy to become operational.
Answered by Nick Gibb
As committed to in the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, the Department will produce a progress report on the implementation of this strategy. The report is anticipated to be published in December 2023.
Accountability arrangements are already in place through the Department’s official governance.
£170 million has been allocated to the Sustainability and Climate Change portfolio between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Of this, £138 million (81%) is part of the Department’s innovate, test, invest process to identify measures to make education buildings more sustainable or more resilient to climate change. This will ensure evidence is at the heart of decision making.
The remaining 19% is focused on cross cutting initiatives to drive systems change, including the National Education Nature Park, support to schools and colleges to put in place climate action plans and setting up systems to assess the risk of climate change and report emissions.
The Department also continues to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help schools and colleges access the £1.4 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to improve sustainability. From October 2022, up to £635 million has been made available through Phase 3b of the scheme for installing low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, with a minimum of 30% going to schools and colleges. This will help to cut emissions and save on energy bills. Phase 3b closed on 31 October 2022 and Phase 3c is expected to open for applications in autumn 2023.
New school buildings delivered by the Department, such as through the School Rebuilding Programme, are designed and fully funded to be net zero carbon in operation and more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Capital funding is also allocated every year to improve the condition of school buildings, including improving energy efficiency. The Department allocated £1.8 billion for financial year 2023/24, including funding for Local Authorities to allocate to their maintained schools.
In 2022 to 2023, eligible schools and sixth-form colleges received an allocation from an additional £447 million of capital funding to improve energy efficiency. This is part of an additional £500 million of capital funding for schools and further education institutions in England.
Capital allocations are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on changes in the level of (a) carbon emissions and (b) energy bills in schools that had retrofitting measures fitted through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Published estimates of carbon savings from Phase 1, 2 and 3 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-2021-to-2040.
These carbon impacts are forecasts based on economic modelling. Financial savings were not projected as these were not included in application data.
There are two ongoing evaluations of PSDS, covering process, impact, and value-for-money evaluations of Phases 1 to 3. Findings of these evaluations, including consideration of carbon impacts and energy cost savings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Summary Reports for (a) Phase 1 and (b) Phase 2, for what reason 628 for Phase 1 (b) 83 for Phase 2 difference in the number of applications from schools and the umber of grants awarded to schools.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme attracts a huge amount of interest and a high number of applications from public sector organisations including schools. Our delivery partner, Salix Finance Limited, reviews all applications through rigorous quality checks and technical assessments to provide assurance that the projects are deliverable.
Applications that are successful in assessment are then awarded grants based on a first come, first served basis, until the available budget is fully allocated.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help improve the energy efficiency of (a) schools, (b) NHS buildings, (c) leisure facilities and (d) local authority public buildings.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, the Government has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037. To support this, £2.5 billion is being invested through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme over the financial years 2020/21 to 2024/25 to provide grants for public sector bodies in England to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures. A further £61 million has been made available through the Low Carbon Skills fund between FY2020/21 and 2023/24 to help public sector bodies develop decarbonisation plans for their buildings.