Trucost Blog
Investment needed to cut carbon in schools
Liesel van Ast
UK Government plans to scrap investment in refurbishing schools could force local authorities to spend money on carbon permits and penalties instead of energy efficiency in buildings.
Local authorities will be responsible for emissions from schools under the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). They will need to purchase an allowance at £12 for each energy-related tonne of carbon dioxide emitted from April 2011. Organisations that improve energy efficiency through cost-effective measures such as low-energy lighting and thermal insulation could cut CO2 emissions, as well as energy and carbon costs.
However, the Government announced this month that it was ending a Building Schools for the Future programme, which spends up to £3 billion of capital investment annually on measures including energy efficiency to reduce emissions. The budget cuts could see taxpayers' money recycled to private companies that reduce their emissions and are ranked higher than schools in a performance league table.
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