School sites - the environment and net zero

It is easy to see that climate change and sustainability have become central issues for the real estate sector. In November, the Government published a briefing regarding plans for, and progress towards, achieving the UK's net zero target by 2050 – a commitment made in 2019. Unsurprisingly, real estate is a key focus in the strategy, given the energy consumption and carbon emissions connected with land and buildings.

Equally, anyone attending an education conference with a real estate element lately will almost certainly have encountered sessions on environmental considerations and the journey to net zero.

There is considerable activity. More than 8,000 schools across the UK have now signed up to Let’s Go Zero, a campaign encouraging schools, colleges and nurseries "to be zero carbon by 2030”. Another major initiative is the rollout of funding through Great British Energy – a new publicly owned energy company. Across England, more than 250 schools have entered into agreements in connection with funding from Great British Energy for solar panels and other energy efficiency steps.