The Climate Action Plan - New tasks and guidance now added to the Education Compliance Framework

What Schools Need to Know About the New Climate Action Plan Requirements

From September 2025, every education setting in England will be expected to have a named Sustainability Lead and a published Climate Action Plan (CAP). This forms part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, and it represents a significant new compliance obligation for schools, multi-academy trusts, and colleges.

In this post, we set out what the requirements mean in practice, what a Climate Action Plan should include, and how Compliance Pod can support you with ready-to-use guidance and scheduled compliance tasks.

Why Climate Action Plans are Required

The education sector has a vital role to play in helping the UK meet its net zero commitments. Schools and colleges manage large estates, consume significant energy, and are also places where future generations learn about climate and sustainability.

The DfE has therefore set two core expectations for all education providers:

1. Appoint a Sustainability Lead – someone with responsibility for coordinating climate and sustainability work, raising awareness, and reporting progress.
2. Develop and maintain a Climate Action Plan – a live document setting out how your school, trust, or college will reduce its environmental impact, adapt to climate risks, and embed sustainability in the curriculum and culture.

What a Climate Action Plan Should Cover

A CAP should be holistic, covering five key areas:

1. Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency
   • Audit energy use and carbon emissions
   • Set reduction targets and plan efficiency improvements (heating, lighting, insulation, renewables)
2. Adaptation and Resilience
   • Assess risks from overheating, flooding, and severe weather
   • Strengthen infrastructure, drainage, and ventilation systems
3. Education and Engagement
   • Embed sustainability into the curriculum across subjects
   • Train staff and engage students, parents, and the wider community
4. Environment and Biodiversity
   • Enhance school grounds, green spaces, and natural habitats
   • Link to programmes such as the National Education Nature Park
5. Governance and Reporting
   • Formalise policies and roles
   • Report annually to governors and trust board
   • Review and update the plan regularly

The Compliance Challenge

While the DfE’s requirement is clear, the practicalities of developing, monitoring, and evidencing a Climate Action Plan can be daunting. Schools are already managing extensive statutory and best practice compliance obligations in areas such as fire, water, asbestos, and health and safety.

Adding CAP obligations into the mix creates new recurring tasks and evidence requirements that must be captured, scheduled, and tracked. Without a structured approach, there is a risk of inconsistent practice, missed deadlines, or a lack of audit-ready evidence.

How Compliance Pod Helps

At Compliance Pod, we have taken the new CAP requirement and translated it into a clear set of guidance documents and recurring compliance tasks. This means your Sustainability Lead and facilities team can manage CAP activities with the same confidence and audit-readiness as fire or water hygiene compliance.

Our CAP Guidance Document provides:

• A step-by-step template aligned to DfE expectations
• A baseline audit checklist (covering energy, risks, curriculum, biodiversity)
• Practical examples of targets and measures you can adopt

Alongside this, we have added a new Sustainability & Climate Action category to the Compliance Pod framework, broken down into five sub-areas. Each includes specific recurring tasks to ensure your CAP is not just written once but actively maintained.

New CAP Tasks in the Compliance Pod Framework

Policy & Governance

• Climate Action Plan Development
• Climate Action Plan Annual Review & Update
• Sustainability Lead Appointment & Confirmation
• Sustainability Policy & Procedure Review
• Climate Action Progress Report to Governors & Trust Board

Carbon, Energy & Resources

• Energy Efficiency Service & Inspection
• Energy Efficiency Visual Check
• Carbon Emissions & Energy Use Monitoring
• Waste Generation & Recycling Monitoring
• Water Consumption & Efficiency Monitoring

Climate Risk & Adaptation

• Climate Risk & Adaptation Audit
• Overheating & Thermal Comfort Service & Inspection
• Overheating & Thermal Comfort Visual Check
• Flood Risk & Drainage Resilience Review
• Sustainable Travel Plan Review

Biodiversity & Ecology

• School Grounds Biodiversity Audit
• Biodiversity & Green Space Maintenance Plan Review
• Biodiversity & Habitat Enhancement Project Monitoring

Education & Engagement

• Curriculum Integration Check for Climate & Sustainability
• Pupil & Staff Engagement Sessions on Climate Action
• Community & Parent Engagement on Climate Action

Every task comes with guidance on frequency, responsible persons, and required evidence, so you can demonstrate compliance clearly and consistently.

Next Steps for Schools and Trusts

With the September 2025 deadline approaching, schools should:

1. Appoint a Sustainability Lead and make sure their role is defined and supported.
2. Start the baseline audit – gather data on energy use, risks, biodiversity, and curriculum.
3. Draft the first CAP using the DfE framework and Compliance Pod guidance.
4. Add the new recurring tasks into your compliance schedule to ensure the plan is reviewed, monitored, and evidenced year-on-year.

Conclusion

The Climate Action Plan requirement is both a compliance obligation and an opportunity. By embedding sustainability into governance, estates, curriculum, and culture, schools can reduce risk, cut costs, and set an example for future generations.

Compliance Pod provides the structure, tools, and support to make this straightforward. With our guidance documents and pre-built CAP task pack, you can ensure your school, trust, or college is fully prepared for September 2025 – and beyond.

Learn more about the CAP guidance and task pack here