The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) today warns that the
Department for Education is not “moving at pace” to deliver its
sustainability commitments, undermining its own targets.
The Committee understands that the risks to schools of the
effects of climate change – such as flooding, overheating and
water scarcity – have not yet been fully grasped in Government.
While schemes such as Climate Action Plans are welcome, EAC is
concerned that the availability of sufficient funding could
hamper efforts to truly address the effects of climate change on
the education estate.
In a letter to the Secretary of State for Education, EAC points
out that the retrofits required to the estate in order to reach
net zero will be a significant and costly undertaking which could
amount to an annual cost of £2 billion. While there are wider
refits necessary to ensure student safety, such as through
replacing RAAC, EAC recommends that Government’s approach should
provide the greatest value for money by addressing sustainability
and climate risks alongside these refits.
EAC is calling on the Department for Education to publish
urgently detailed plans for the mitigation of likely climate
risks to the schools estate. It should also publish a
fully-costed plan for the achievement of its sustainability
strategy.
Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Rt Hon MP, said:
“Education is the public sector’s largest emitter of
carbon from buildings, amounting to 37% of all public sector
emissions. Therefore, getting a grip and stemming these dangerous
emissions is critical for our net zero future.
“But the Committee is concerned that given the scale of
the challenge, the current pace of the work required to meet net
zero, lacks urgency. It struck the Committee that while there is
some understanding of the dangers climate change poses to schools
and colleges in England, not enough is being done to adapt to the
risks from flooding, overheating and water scarcity.
“Making the education estate fit for Net Zero Britain
will be a costly and significant undertaking. There is no time to
lose and the Department for Education must urgently publish
detailed plans for mitigating risks caused by climate change, and
set out how it will deliver its own sustainability
strategy.”
