BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
What’s limiting widespread decarbonisation across education estates?
there are certain barriers preventing them from reaching their own net zero targets. However, concerningly, our research showed that some organisations have no strategy in place at all despite being aware of the national target and important sustainability agenda.
Taking a snapshot of the past 12 months, more than half of our research respondents believe that meaningful progress has been made. With people pulling in different directions, what is it that’s making decarbonisation such a challenge?
Government support E
mma Hesbrook, Head of Delivery for the Midlands and Wales at national procurement specialist Pagabo, explores the decarbonisation challenge as it currently stands and reflects on the findings of Pagabo’s recent whitepaper, Driving Decarbonisation in the Public Sector. Despite schools and universities representing roughly 36% of total UK public sector building emissions, the government axed its multi-billion- pound Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) earlier this year, shattering the confidence of many in the education sector working hard to reduce their organisation’s footprint. The UK is now aiming for an 81% cut in its emissions by 2035, as confirmed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer almost a year ago at COP29. When asked whether they think that target is achievable, as part of our white paper research which involved schools, colleges, universities and trusts across the UK, very few respondents simply said yes. Most said that it is achievable but not within the given timeframe, and more than a third said that it’s not achievable at all.
While it appears that confidence levels are varied, most respondents also said that their organisation has its own strategy in place and
Our research showed that funding remains the most common challenge, followed by the complexity of existing buildings, competing priorities, and changing policies and regulations. More than half of respondents also said that successful funding bids did not cover the cost of the works required, proving the scale of this major problem for a cash-strapped sector. Now, with no further government investment available beyond currently awarded projects, the issues faced by education providers are only worsened. Schools and colleges in particular are not prepared to reduce existing services due to overstretched budgets and competing priorities, while the government faces the exact same dilemma and has now created an unclear relationship between policy and action. It appears that the education sector is crying out for continuity and government guidance,
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www.education-today.co.uk
Before the PSDS was discontinued, the education sector was already struggling to effectively use the government’s main source of decarbonisation funding. Whether it was ineligibility issues or small awards that left unfeasible project cost deficits, from an education perspective the PSDS was not seen as fit for purpose.
otherwise the timelines to achieve individual strategies only become longer and less certain. Are ambitions too costly or too complex? Looking more closely at the most common energy efficiency measures that have been successfully implemented, there is a connection. Energy saving lighting and solar panels are relatively easy installations and compatible with most education estates, hence their popularity. However, when it comes to fabric upgrades, heat pumps and other sources of renewable energy, there has been far less progress.
Despite our research respondents acknowledging the government’s competing priorities that have led to historic underinvestment in public services and a backlog of problems with the current building stock across many sectors, the education sector has identified itself that decarbonisation isn’t a one size fits all approach and can’t be treated as one. Heat pumps, for example, are simply not compatible with most existing education buildings – so should not be viewed as a golden bullet.
The education sector is also one that is somewhat limited in its ability to undertake decarbonisation works whenever it wishes, due to the nature of its estates which are only switched off at very specific times every year. Making matters worse for those responsible for planning and undertaking energy efficiency interventions, it’s difficult to suggest that simply injecting more money will solve the problem.
Our view is that retrofit schemes are often assumed to be a more intensive undertaking – and extra steps like asbestos removal lead to higher project costs. However, our experience suggests that with the right team in place and a collaborative approach to decision-making, those assumptions aren’t always correct.
What’s the answer?
Our recent research shows that the government has an important role to play if the education sector is to make serious progress in its decarbonisation efforts. That said, a greater level of self-sufficiency is also required to increase the impact of current and future decarbonisation activity.
Whether it’s engaging earlier with contractors to find ways to increase the number of positive project outcomes, or seeking necessary guidance on how to make budgets stretch further, the sector is one of many calling for government support and may be waiting longer than it can afford to unless it takes action now. Procurement frameworks available to education providers offer an effective route to energy-efficient and low-carbon solutions through specialist providers, enabling overall decarbonisation progress. These are pre-tendered and compliant routes that can provide trusts with flexible and fast access to suppliers across estates and facilities management specialties, which we think is a no-brainer considering the financial efficiencies that are often delivered too.
December 2025
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