Hannah Gains, national education manager at Net Zero Buildings.
New government policy, updated frameworks and standards and green funding initiatives are increasing pressure on UK schools to decarbonise in 2026. By adopting a mix of behavioural changes, targeted retrofitting, sustainable rebuilding and modern construction methods, estate managers can reduce emissions and take significant steps towards meeting net zero ambitions.
In its Climate and Sustainability Strategy, the Department for Education (DfE) laid out a multi-pronged approach to ensure that the education sector could tackle climate change. A key requirement was for all schools to have a Climate Action Plan in place by September 2025, setting out how emissions will be reduced and energy efficiency improved. Schools are also expected to appoint a sustainability lead to drive delivery, monitor and report progress. While this requirement only came into force recently, its full impact will be felt throughout 2026 as schools actively reduce carbon emissions and embed sustainability further into operations.
The government also released its School Estate Management Standards earlier this year, a framework for how schools should run their sites. It explicitly incorporates sustainability expectations and to achieve the highest rankings, schools must have a robust plan in place to decarbonise. In 2026, improving energy performance and reducing carbon emissions will no longer be optional considerations, but central measures of estate management effectiveness.
Alongside policy and standards, targeted funding initiatives are accelerating green activity. Several programmes announced in 2025 will impact school operations in the coming months, including Great British Energy supporting solar installations at 255 school sites. The Greener Schools pilot programme was also recently launched, offering up to ยฃ500,000 per school to trial net zero interventions. While the scheme is currently regional, there is potential for similar approaches to be rolled out nationally. With estimates suggesting that there is currently a ยฃ16.3 billion investment gap to decarbonise the UKโs 32,149 schools, further initiatives and funding are likely to be announced in the coming weeks and months, which will impact sustainability initiatives.
Schools are also beginning to feel increased pressure to deliver on net zero promises from students and parents as sustainability becomes more embedded in their everyday attitudes and behaviours, in fact, nearly four in five primary-aged children (78 per cent) confirmed they were worried about climate change.
So, how can schools achieve decarbonisation goals in practice?
On average, around 50 per cent of a schoolโs electricity is consumed outside of operational hours. Consequently, reducing unnecessary energy use is the quickest, and simplest step schools can take towards achieving net zero. Practices such as training staff and pupils to switch off lights and equipment when classrooms are not in use, (lighting, computers, whiteboards, etc), may seem insignificant, but can cumulatively generate significant savings. Schools should also review standby settings with ICT teams and consider replacing older servers with more efficient models.
Behavioural changes can deliver immediate reductions in energy use, but schools will also require physical infrastructure upgrades to achieve further efficiency improvements. Retrofitting is used in the education sector to make existing buildings more energy efficient and in line with modern standards without the high capital costs of full replacement. Common interventions include upgrading insulation, improving lighting and installing more efficient heating.
However, retrofitting alone cannot resolve every challenge, as its effectiveness is often constrained by structural limitations such as hazardous materials like RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete), and outdated building layouts, which can restrict how much energy and carbon reduction can be achieved. As a result, sustainable rebuilding will become increasingly essential in 2026, especially as the government has expanded the School Rebuilding Programme, which will see hundreds of ageing and high-risk school buildings replaced, alongside its commitment to remove RAAC from all schools and colleges.
Any school rebuilding projects must support wider sustainability and net zero goals. The building and construction sector has historically generated a significant amount of greenhouse gas, accounting for approximately 37 per cent of global emissions. To limit the environmental impact of new buildings, estate managers must utilise Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to lower emissions. For example, modular construction enables school buildings to be manufactured offsite in controlled factory environments, where lean manufacturing processes ensure components are produced to exact specifications, resulting in zero waste. By shifting construction activity from the site to the factory floor, modular solutions also address other sustainability challenges, including excessive vehicle movements and congestion. This will be increasingly vital in 2026, as improving air quality increasingly emerges as a critical priority due to numerous high-profile studies highlighting the harmful impact traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) can have on childrenโs neurodevelopment and cognitive functioning.
Sustainable construction is fundamentally about maximising material reuse and minimising waste. Modular buildings are a powerful tool for schools seeking to reduce their long-term environmental impact in this area, as they are designed to withstand the test of time through high quality design and manufacturing standards. Modular solutions are also inherent flexibility, for example, structures can be repurposed, relocated, and reconfigured as needs evolve, supporting a circular economy. Repurposing buildings can generate between 50 and 70 per cent fewer carbon emissions compared with constructing new facilities.
Another benefit is that renewable energy technologies can be seamlessly integrated into modular school buildings, enabling sustainability to be embedded from day one. Solutions such as solar heating systems, photovoltaic (PV) panels, mechanical heating, ventilation and cooling, ground source heat pumps, LED lighting, and rainwater harvesting can all be incorporated as part of the design process. By adopting these advanced energy-efficient technologies, schools can significantly reduce their reliance on fossil fuels while lowering electricity costs. There is also the opportunity to connect PV systems to the national grid, allowing schools to export surplus energy back to the local community during weekends and school holidays.
As part of the broader push to meet net zero targets, UK schools are starting to turn their attention to Scope 3 emissions, which account for indirect emissions across the value chain, such as building materials, transportation and waste management. By choosing partners who value sustainable methods which reduce waste, schools can significantly lower their Scope 3 emissions and wider environmental impact.
As new sustainability and energy efficiency technologies continue to enter the market, school estate managers must stay informed. Peer-to-peer networking plays a vital role in enabling managers to tackle the challenge of meeting net zero targets across school estates, enabling individuals to share best practice, discuss challenges, and exchange ideas. Initiatives such as School Estates Thought Leaders (SETL) exemplify this collaborative approach, providing guidance and support to estate managers nationwide.
Throughout 2026, new policy, funding and growing stakeholder pressure will see UK schools increasingly turn net zero ambitions into tangible actions. Through a combination of behavioural change, targeted retrofitting, sustainable rebuilding and modern construction methods, schools can make meaningful progress towards decarbonisation. Finally, by working with partners and peers committed to sustainability, school estate managers can ensure they are able to improve the efficiency of school estates throughout 2026 and beyond.
