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<p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a range of
measures at COP26 to put climate change and sustainability at the heart of education. These
included a draft sustainability and climate change strategy for the education and
children’s services systems, a new national education nature park and climate leaders
award.</p><p>The Department for Education’s vision is for the UK education sector
to be a world leader in sustainability and climate change by 2030, as set out in the
department’s draft sustainability and climate change strategy. The education estate
is a key action area within the strategy. We will support the sector in reducing carbon
emissions, adapting and mitigating to the worst impacts of climate change, and increasing
biodiversity. We will contribute to carbon reduction through delivering new school
buildings, improving the existing school estate and engaging users in the process
of managing buildings for the greatest impact.</p><p>By 2023 all new school buildings
delivered by the Department for Education (not already contracted) will be net zero
in operation. We will also continue to develop and test the GenZero prototype for
the future new build of schools, designed to be ultra-low in construction carbon and
net zero in operation.</p><p>The Department for Education estates’ ambition is to
embed sustainability in our business process and achieve our net zero target across
all activities by 2050 in line with the Government Property Agency and the UK government
commitment.</p><p>We are committed to playing our part to support the labour market
transition to net zero. In November last year, we established (jointly with The Department
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) the Green Jobs Taskforce, which has
helped to build the evidence on skills and workforce needs in key green sectors.</p><p>That
has informed our contribution to the Net Zero Strategy which was published on 19 October.
Building on the Skills for Jobs White Paper, the Net Zero Strategy sets out how our
skills reforms will strengthen links between employers and providers, support workers
in high carbon sectors with the transition, and help to build a pipeline of future
talent.</p><p>Our plan for net zero will generate thousands of well-paid jobs here
in the UK, help us develop thriving, world-leading green industries, strengthen our
energy security, and improve our health and wellbeing. Acting now will put us at the
forefront of large, expanding global markets and allow us to capitalise on export
opportunities.</p>
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