Climate action plan: what to publish on your school website
Your climate action plan names your sustainability lead and covers your curriculum, procurement, adaptation and decarbonisation plans.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When it's due
Keep it up to date
There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
What's needed
Name your sustainability lead and publish your climate action plan on the about us or sustainability page on your website, covering curriculum, procurement, adaptation and decarbonisation.
What it must contain
5 parts- Names the school's sustainability leadShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Gives the school's climate action plan for its sustainability initiativesShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Covers the four key pillars of the climate action planShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Covers curricular and extra-curricular activity, procurement, adaptation and decarbonisation plansShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Tracks progress against sustainability goals, reporting impact and lessons learnedGood practice: Recommended as good practice. Not required.
What the official sources say
Set out in 2 official sources:
Sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education
The sustainability and climate change strategy for education states: “By 2025, all education settings will have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan”.
Expected: Inspectors expect to see it, though it isn't a legal requirement.§ Overview (first paragraph)
While the format may vary, all climate action plans should include the following 4 key pillars:
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ Developing and storing your climate action plans
Show 5 more from this source
A climate action plan is a detailed plan to enable your education setting, or trust, to progress or commence sustainability initiatives.
Expected: Inspectors expect to see it, though it isn't a legal requirement.§ Developing and storing your climate action plans
Nurseries, schools and colleges are expected to nominate a sustainability lead.
Expected: Inspectors expect to see it, though it isn't a legal requirement.§ Identifying your sustainability leadership structure
However, we know many settings are proud of the action they are taking and publish their climate action plan or strategy on their website. Having your climate action plan visible is helpful in engaging parents, the local community and external stakeholders on the journey towards sustainability and enhances trust and accountability.
Good practice: Recommended as good practice. Not required.§ Developing and storing your climate action plans
track progress against sustainability goals, reporting impact and lessons learned
Good practice: Recommended as good practice. Not required.§ Identifying your sustainability leadership structure > Sustainability leads often
You may choose to have a climate action plan that sits within an individual setting, across a trust, or both.
Expected: Inspectors expect to see it, though it isn't a legal requirement.§ Developing and storing your climate action plans
Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children's services systems
While our end goal is for all settings to have a sustainability lead owning a climate action plan (to include curricular and extra-curricular activity, procurement, adaptation and decarbonisation plans), we are keen to:
Good practice: Recommended as good practice. Not required.§ Initiatives to drive the strategy > Sustainability leadership
Questions schools ask
Do schools have to publish a climate action plan?
For academies and maintained schools, it's recommended as good practice, not required.
What does a school climate action plan need to include?
Names the school's sustainability lead; school's climate action plan for its sustainability initiatives; Covers the four key pillars of the climate action plan; Covers curricular and extra-curricular activity, procurement, adaptation and decarbonisation plans; Tracks progress against sustainability goals, reporting impact and lessons learned.
When do we need to update our climate action plan?
Keep it up to date. There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
Where does the requirement for the climate action plan come from?
It is set out in Sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education and Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children's services systems.
Recent changes to the official guidance
Updates to the official sources that affect this requirement, newest first.
30 October 2025 · Sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education
Updated to provide greater clarity on the climate action plan template and sustainability leadership structure, and to add an additional case-study from Manchester Metropolitan University.
7 March 2025 · Sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education
Updated to include information about developing and storing your climate action plan and the Let’s Go Zero national campaign.
17 May 2023 · Sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education
The DfE published guidance on sustainability leadership and climate action plans.
20 April 2022 · Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children's services systems
The DfE published its sustainability and climate change strategy.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
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Official wording that does not apply to schools (1)
The Department for Education does not provide a set template for climate action plans. This allows schools, colleges and other education settings the flexibility to develop a tailored plan that reflects their specific context, priorities and needs.
Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4