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by Anjub Ali, Senior Category Manager – Construction & Estates NHS Shared Business Services. |
The UK public sector covers thousands of buildings, including hospitals, schools, libraries, and housing. Many were built decades ago, are energy inefficient, face rising operational costs, maintenance challenges, and tightening environmental expectations. With national climate targets in place, these estates must undergo significant transformation.
Decarbonising public buildings is essential for meeting statutory carbon budgets, protecting strained public finances, and creating healthier, more resilient environments for the citizens and staff who rely on them every day.
Why public sector estates must act now
Climate change is already affecting the public sector – from higher energy costs to increased demand for health and social care services caused by extreme temperatures and poor air quality. Many estates are grappling with:
- Ageing heating systems
- Poor levels of insulation
- Damp and mould
- Inadequate ventilation
- High energy bills
- Maintenance backlogs
Upgrading these buildings to run on low‑carbon energy systems offers benefits far beyond emissions reduction:
- Lower long‑term operating costs
- Greater resilience to volatile gas prices
- Healthier, more comfortable buildings
- Reduced maintenance pressures
- Improved public‑service delivery
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) reinforced this urgency in its 2025 report, warning that decarbonising public buildings requires a strategic, coordinated plan and long‑term funding. Falling behind now will undermine progress toward wider Net Zero targets and lead to significantly higher costs in future.
Government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan
The government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan also states that public bodies are expected to “lead by example”, demonstrating how clean energy reduces emissions, strengthens resilience and lowers long‑term costs.
A practical route to delivery: The Decarbonisation of Estates Framework Agreement
Achieving decarbonisation at scale is challenging. Public bodies need the right suppliers, expertise, technologies and procurement mechanisms – and they need them quickly.
This is where our Decarbonisation of Estates Framework Agreement plays a vital role.
It is specifically designed to help the NHS and wider public sector modernise and decarbonise their estates. It offers a compliant, pre‑procured route to a trusted supply chain that provides a fast and efficient way to implement projects such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels, that would otherwise take months or years to scope and tender.
Many public buildings need cleaner technology and structural energy upgrades to maximise efficiency. Combining these under one contract significantly reduces disruption, delivers economies of scale and accelerates progress toward Net Zero – something our framework agreement can offer.
Responding to the new national direction on energy efficiency
The government’s recent Warm Homes and Home Upgrade Plan signals a renewed national focus on energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation. Although aimed at domestic properties, it reinforces the expectation that public sector organisations must accelerate improvements across their non-domestic estates. This creates a timely moment for estates and sustainability teams to review their decarbonisation pathways and identify priority projects.
How can Lot 2 of the Decarbonisation of Estates Framework Agreement support?
Lot 2 of the framework agreement provides a ready to use, compliant route for non-domestic decarbonisation activity. It covers heat decarbonisation planning, building fabric improvements, specialist surveys and energy efficiency upgrades. Suppliers are already mobilised and able to support rapid scoping and delivery, helping organisations turn national policy momentum into practical action.
By leveraging this framework agreement, your organisation can:
- Modernise ageing estates
- Reduce carbon emissions at scale
- Shield budgets from volatile energy prices
- Enhance the quality and safety of buildings
- Deliver on national Net Zero obligations
The scale of transformation required across public estates is significant, but with the right tools, suppliers and procurement routes, this transition can be faster, easier and more cost‑effective.
If you’d like to discuss how we can support your decarbonisation strategy, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively, you can learn more about the framework agreement here.
