Resource
09 Mar 2025
In April 2022, the Department for Education (DfE) unveiled its strategy to help the UK’s education sector achieve net zero targets, outlined in its policy paper Sustainability and Climate Change: A strategy for the education and children’s services systems. One of the strategy’s standout headlines was its target to reduce public sector emissions by 50% by 2032 and 75% by 2037.
Nearly three years on, the pressure is mounting for schools to meet sustainability targets, but specific obligations and next steps remain unclear. If you struggled to understand the strategy, you’re not alone! In this article, we aim to unpack the key headlines and update the progress that has been made.
Curriculum integration: The DfE had planned to introduce a Natural History GCSE by 2025 to integrate climate education into the curriculum, but the qualification has been indefinitely postponed.
Professional development: The strategy also envisioned providing National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for educators, including early years professionals, focused on climate education. However, NPQ offerings currently focus primarily on leadership and general educational practices rather than integrating sustainability and climate change into professional development.
Student engagement: The National Education Nature Park (NENP) launched in October 2023. The initiative encourages schools, nurseries and colleges to transform outdoor spaces to enhance biodiversity and environmental stewardship. As of October 2024, over 3,000 institutions have joined, collectively mapping more than two million square metres of habitats. The NENP also offers Climate Action Awards to recognise and incentivise student-led sustainability efforts.
Investment in green skills: A £3.8 billion investment was earmarked to equip students and professionals with skills pertinent to a green economy. However, the roadmap for effectively deploying this funding to address existing skills gaps remains unclear.
Collaborative development: The Green Jobs Delivery Group, launched in May 2022, aimed to align educational outcomes with industry needs. While it brought together industry leaders to upskill the green workforce, the group has since been stood down, leaving its progress uncertain.
Sustainable infrastructure: The DfE aims for all new educational buildings to achieve net zero operational emissions. However, a newly built “net-zero” primary school designed with sustainable features to meet net-zero carbon emission standards has never opened due to a lack of pupils in the area. Waterside Primary Academy in Nottingham was intended to serve a new housing development, but not enough families with children have moved in, leaving the school indefinitely closed. This frustrating example highlights the importance of balancing green goals with community needs in school planning.
Climate resilience: To safeguard schools against climate-related risks such as flooding, the DfE has begun to implement assessments and adaptations. An example is in London, where a partnership between the Mayor’s office, the DfE and Thames Water aims to enhance the climate resilience of up to 100 schools. This includes improving water efficiency, reducing flood risks and developing climate adaptation plans.
Resource efficiency: The DfE is aiming to help schools adopt practices that promote waste reduction and efficient resource use.
Sustainable procurement: The Procurement Act 2023, launched in February 2025, strengthens the DfE’s efforts to integrate sustainability into procurement processes. The Act prioritises social value and encourages public bodies to consider environmental and social impacts alongside traditional value-for-money assessments. Zenergi’s energy framework, which will be sponsored by ISBL, is designed to provide a compliant, competitive procurement model for green energy. Fully compliant with the Procurement Act 2023, renewable electricity is standard, helping users meet their sustainability objectives, and an annual contribution will be made to fund sustainability training for schools for each contract signed through the framework.
Global engagement: The DfE is committed to sharing best practices and collaborating globally to promote sustainability education. One such initiative is the Education World Forum in London, where policymakers from around the world meet to exchange ideas and tackle global educational challenges.
While progress may feel slow and action and next steps remain vague, the net zero targets are still in place, and schools must act now. The DfE has mandated that, by this year, every nursery school, and college must appoint a Sustainability Lead to oversee sustainability initiatives and develop a Climate Action Plan outlining their strategy to meet sustainability targets.
If you’re unsure where to start, our free tool is here to help you take the first step.
To support schools in aligning with the DfE’s sustainability objectives, the Greener Schools Index (GSI) offers a free, user-friendly platform for measuring, tracking and benchmarking sustainability progress.
How the GSI can assist your school
While the DfE’s strategy for sustainability and climate change lays out ambitious targets and initiatives, the path forward remains frustratingly vague, with unclear next steps and specific obligations for schools. We understand that school leaders across the UK are rightfully frustrated by the lack of clarity around how to meet net zero targets and how to proceed effectively.
Despite this uncertainty, you need to take action. Appoint your Sustainability Lead and get started on developing your Climate Action Plan, which is essential for meeting sustainability targets. The time to act is now, and our free tool, the Greener Schools Index (GSI), is here to help you get started.
By proactively engaging with the GSI, your school can lead the way in fostering a sustainable, climate-resilient educational environment.
A lack of clarity is holding schools back from meeting their net zero goals effectively.
Despite this uncertainty, schools must take action.
