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Climate-ready schools: why every school needs a Climate Action Plan
This article by Let’s Go Zero and Barker explains how they are helping schools cut costs, cut carbon and create healthier learning environments.
Read time: 6 mins Added: 13/03/26
Future ready schools
Schools are at the heart of their communities. They are shaping the next generation but with increasingly tight budgets. Fortunately, implementing effective energy efficiency measures doesn’t just help the planet - it delivers real educational and financial benefits for your school. Warmer, healthier classrooms support better learning. Cutting energy wastage frees up money for teaching and resources. And visible climate projects inspire pupils with hands-on learning about sustainability.
Phil Herriott Director of Education, LloydsI’ve seen first-hand the transformative impact that strategic planning and sector collaboration can have on schools. In a rapidly evolving landscape, supporting schools to become climate-ready is not just a requirement - it’s an opportunity. By combining traditional service values with innovative solutions, we can help schools and trusts unlock efficiencies, reduce risk, and deliver lasting value for their communities.
Across the country, schools are already proving what’s possible. By installing LED lighting, solar PV and adjusting school heating controls, Windsor Academy Trust in the West Midlands have reduced their carbon emissions by over 33% since 2020. But retrofit isn’t the only route to meaningful impact.
In London, Kilburn Grange School reduced its energy use by 31% in just one year through a focused approach to climate action. Supported by their Climate Action Advisor and Barker, Kilburn Grange School were able to make informed, high-impact changes quickly – from optimising their Building Management System (BMS) settings, to using regular energy reports and review meetings.
These actions support the UK’s journey to net zero; and many of these schools like Kilburn Grange School, have been supported by the Let’s Go Zero campaign - Ashden's campaign for all UK schools, colleges, nurseries and trusts to be zero carbon by 2030. Their team of expert Climate Action Advisors are on hand to help develop their plans and, critically, to implement them. If your school is interested in free, expert advice from a Climate Action Advisor, register your interest today.
Climate Action Plans: a requirement and an opportunity
The Department for Education expects all education settings to have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a Climate Action Plan. These plans provide a structured, strategic approach to managing your environmental responsibilities and identifying where to focus effort and resources.
A Climate Action Plan (CAP) covers four key pillars:
- Adaptation and resilience – preparing for hotter summers, flooding risk and extreme weather, ensuring your buildings and operations can cope.
- Biodiversity and nature – enhancing green spaces, improving habitats and connecting pupils with the natural environment.
- Climate education and green skills – embedding sustainability across the curriculum so learners understand climate change and future career pathways.
- Decarbonisation and Net Zero – measuring and reducing emissions from energy, travel, procurement and buildings.
There is no mandated DfE template, but both Let’s Go Zero and partners like Barker can support you to develop a CAP that is practical, proportionate and aligned with funding opportunities.
Practical measures your school can take
Climate action doesn’t need to start with large-scale capital projects. Many schools find quick wins offer rapid payback and build organisational momentum.
It didn’t take long for The Wainfleet Magdalen Church of England/Methodist School to see big savings after reaching out for support from Let’s Go Zero. During a meeting with their Climate Action Advisor, Headteacher Melanie Page shared the impact their sustainability work had in just a month: “We have managed to save £448.39 in electricity costs over September compared to last year.”
Adopting a whole-school approach saw simple, practical changes make all the difference. The school’s student eco-club began doing spot checks in classrooms to check lights; their site manager began working with their BMS provider to fine-tune settings; and staff collectively shifted to more climate-conscious thinking. For example, instead of hosting parents evening across seven classrooms, they decided to move into the hall – reducing the number of rooms needing heating from seven to just one.
Quarterly bill checks now track Wainfleet’s progress, reinforcing a growing sense that every small action is making a tangible difference to their emissions and energy bills. What began with a few simple behavioural changes has turned into a culture shift: in the areas where they have focused action, this school has successfully reduced an estimated 18.4 tonnes CO2e – equivalent to 10% of their previous annual total emissions.
The best energy to use? None at all!
When it comes to reducing emissions, a lot of advice focuses on improving efficiency. This is critical to consider, but many schools find it helpful to start by reducing their energy use in the first place. In order to do that, it’s essential to monitor and understand your data.
Through getting a clear picture of their monthly energy use, King Edwards VI School in Silby was able to spot anomalous energy usage that had previously gone undetected – enabling them to adjust their BMS settings accordingly and save an impressive 23.98 tonnes CO2e from their annual carbon footprint. This school’s action shows that small adjustments can deliver significant savings. Tweaks as simple as lowering the main heating thermostat by one degree or delaying the heating start time by an hour, cuts annual heating costs by 5-10% for most schools, according to the Department of Education.1
It might come as a surprise that on average, 50% of energy usage happens outside of school hours. For Whitefriars School, a large secondary school in Harrow, tackling out-of-hours energy usage has resulted in phenomenal savings. One of the first recommendations their Climate Action Advisor made was to engage with Energy Sparks: a school-specific energy monitoring platform that gives near real-time data insights.
By paying attention to their usage and making empowered decisions, overnight energy use has decreased by an average of 20% across their site. Over the holidays, electricity usage was down 43% compared to last year. If this school keeps it up, they are looking to save £12,000 across the year. You can access free support from an expert Climate Action Advisor to help your school unlock major savings like those achieved by Whitefriars.
High-impact projects
Property consultant Barker has supported education organisations to deliver deeper carbon and cost savings through larger investment programmes. For example:
- Solar PV can generate up to a third of a school’s electricity, with payback periods often under three years.
- LED lighting upgrades typically cut lighting energy use by 50–70%.
- Improved heating controls and building fabric improvements consistently deliver significant cost and carbon reductions.
What next? Sustainability support for the education sector
Let’s Go Zero is a fast-growing national campaign supporting schools on their sustainability journey. They are also working closely with government to accelerate sustainability solutions. Let's Go Zero is free to join, and their team of Climate Action Advisors help schools create Climate Action Plans. Join thousands of schools taking climate action by joining Let’s Go Zero today.
Barker is a leading education property consultancy working with Lloyds to help schools and trusts transition to net zero. Through strategic advice, and initiatives such as the Net Zero Accelerator Programme and Great British Energy Solar Partnership, Barker provides end-to-end support from estate assessment to project delivery. Barker’s Sustainability Self-Assessment tool can help you understand your current position and identify priority actions.