, Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education (DfE),
has confirmed to the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) that in
order for the department to meet its sustainability targets, a
detailed roadmap will be published by Autumn 2024.
On 22nd November 2023, EAC Chair Rt Hon MP wrote to the Secretary of
State for Education raising concern at the progress made to date
on decarbonisation of the education estate in England. The
Committee also pointed out – echoing similar concerns raised by
the National Audit Office – that there appeared to be a
significant funding gap between DfE’s sustainability ambitions
and its current spending plans.
EAC welcomes DfE’s plans to publish a roadmap: this exercise
ought to clarify how the Department’s sustainability targets are
to be met, and the timeframe within which they are expected to be
achieved. Committee members remain concerned that the long-term
funding to meet the DfE’s sustainability objectives is yet to be
allocated. As the Department’s current spending plans appear
insufficient to ensure maintenance of the current education
estate and mitigation of the most serious risks of building
failure, on current plans there is little realistic prospect of
sufficient funding being available for the sustainability
improvements DfE has committed to make to the education estate.
Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Rt Hon MP, said:
“In November, the Committee raised alarm that the Department for
Education’s current plans would see only 20% of the schools
estate in England net zero compliant by 2050. This is a
significant worry when education is currently the largest emitter
of carbon from buildings in the public sector. For the whole of
the UK to meet net zero, the education sector in England must
make swifter progress on decarbonisation.
“I welcome the Minister’s commitment to publish a roadmap later
this year for the Department for Education to meet its
sustainability targets. This will be an invaluable resource,
allowing the Department to set out in detail the challenge ahead
and giving Ministers sufficient visibility of the urgent case for
significant additional funding for this large element of the
public buildings estate.”
