Written question WQ84242

The Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (formerly 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme), which has always been highly committed to sustainability and decarbonisation, has provided £1.22 billion funding to date for school and college infrastructure improvements. From the launch in 2014, the programme has targeted an ‘Excellent’ rating under the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) for new-builds, an energy rating of ‘A’ for all major refurbishment and extension projects, and a requirement to have a minimum of 15% of recycled materials.

The Programme has also pioneered a number of Passivhaus school projects and supported projects that have gone above and beyond requirements to help drive the decarbonisation of our educational estate.

As I announced in November, I continue to be committed to tackling our climate emergency and achieving our decarbonisation and sustainability goals; that is why I made net zero carbon a mandatory requirement for all projects that had not secured approval at outline business case stage as at 1 January 2022. The programme will continue to drive forward this agenda, requiring all new–build, major refurbishment and extension projects delivered to demonstrate delivery of Net Zero Carbon in operation plus a 20% reduction on the amount of embodied carbon.

The draft budget invests a further £900m of capital funding over the next three years (£300m per annum) to support our Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. Taken together with other capital funding, this represents an annual capital increase to the Education and Welsh Language MEG of 31.7% for 2022-23 and 33.6% for 2023-24 and 2024-25, when compared to our 2021-22 baseline. I also made £50 million funding support available at the end of 2021 for priority works for health and safety and decarbonisation.

The allocation builds on the success of the £5m (2021/22) Net Zero Carbon Pilot, providing a sound platform for the education sector here in Wales to deliver, at pace, as we work towards a net zero public sector by 2030.

I am delighted to confirm that our first net zero carbon school, South Point primary school in the Vale of Glamorgan, will be open to pupils on 28 February; and that funding is in place to support more school projects such as this as they are delivered during the coming years.