34 academy trusts win share of £530m green building fund

Government announcement includes 47 building projects set to receive grants for work to reduce school energy bills and carbon emissions
15th May 2024, 1:10pm

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34 academy trusts win share of £530m green building fund

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/34-academy-trusts-win-share-ps530m-green-building-fund
34 academy trusts win share of £530m green building fund

Multi-academy trusts, diocesan boards and schools will receive just over £37 million in government funding to help reduce school energy bills and carbon emissions.

The government has announced that 222 projects have been awarded a share of £530 million through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

A list of the school-related grant recipients, published today - mostly multi-academy trusts or diocesan boards - includes 47 schemes to upgrade buildings.

Grants vary in size, from £4 million going to NEAT Academy Trust to pay for work at Benfield School and Sports Centre in Newcastle, to grants of £65,000 to Salisbury Board of Education for a primary school project.

Three MATs have been allocated a grant for carrying out work across regions.

River Learning Trust is receiving £1,771,854, Star Academies is receiving £1,217,388 and Elliott Foundation Academies Trust is receiving £516,340.

The Kent Catholic Schools Partnership has received six grants for projects at separate primary schools.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the grant funding will be used to help schools, pools and hospitals make energy-efficient upgrades.

It said funding would pay for heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and low-energy lighting to reduce the use of fossil fuels across public sector buildings.

The energy efficiency minister, Lord Callanan, said: “From school corridors to the businesses that power up our economy, we want to make sure buildings of all shapes and sizes are supported to deliver net zero.”

The money would “help cut bills in the long term” and “ensure we keep reducing our emissions”, he said.

More than 1,000 projects have received funding since 2020 to upgrade thousands of buildings through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the DESNZ said.

Last year the Department for Education was warned by a public spending watchdog that it had insufficient plans for decarbonising the school estate.

The DfE: Sustainability Overview report, conducted by the National Audit Office, also highlighted a lack of a national overview in government about the sustainability of the school estate and the potential risks posed by climate change.

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