The Mayor of London has awarded a budget of £2.9 million to help schools in London tackle their energy bills. Additionally, a £9.6 million fund will be available for investment into renewable energy developments at schools.
Figure 1: Solar array on a rooftop.
The Greener Schools Programme
Initially launched in December 2024, the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, had outlined the Greener Schools scheme as part of the manifesto commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of schools in London. In April 2025, a total of 38 schools across 16 boroughs were announced to receive this [1].
The Numbers
It is estimated that schools will be able to save up to £15,000 a year on their energy bills through the scheme. An average of over £77,000 per school will be awarded across the boroughs – including special schools, nurseries, secondary schools and primary schools. Due to the high interest in the scheme from schools, a further funding of almost £1 million has been allocated to support an additional 13 schools [1].
The fund will also be available to invest in renewable energy developments at schools such as solar panels, LED lighting, insulation and heat pumps. Investment in these measures could save over £50 million annually from the education budget [2].
The Impacts
Sir Sadiq Khan has said the scheme ‘will help schools reduce their energy costs, so they can spend more on vital resources such as books, technology and staff, and cut carbon emissions so schools can play their part in tackling air pollution in the capital’ and that the additional ‘further £9.6m to fund more vital projects in more schools, helping to meet our target of achieving net zero by 2030, as we continue working to build a greener and fairer London for everyone’.
For one of the schools taking part in the scheme, Brecknock and Torriano Federation, Helen Bruckdorfer (executive headteacher) has said ‘this initiative is a significant step toward a greener, more sustainable future for our community’.
Part of the Puzzle
As part of Net Zero 2030 for Greater London, the Greener Schools scheme is a small part of the measures taken to reach the goal of net zero. The Mayor’s climate plan also includes delivering a 100% zero-emission bus fleet, 40,000 bike parking spaces, and increasing the number of electric vehicle charging points to 40,000 [1].
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References
Figure 1: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-building-with-a-glass-front-8GS8bmor8_A
[2] https://www.london.gov.uk/Mayor%20launches%20ambitious%20new%20Greener%20Schools%20programme%20which%20could%20help%20London%20schools%20save%20%C2%A318%2C000%20each%20year%20on%20their%20energy%20bills#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAt%20our%20school%2C%20we%20feel,generation%20of%20climate%20change%20leaders.%E2%80%9D
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgn4pewq4lo
