A £500,000 investment to help schools, nurseries, and colleges tackle climate change has been announced by Sheffield City Council.

The Built for Change project will provide resources, training, and support to help education settings reduce their carbon emissions and empower students to take climate action. Sheffield City Council secured £505,000 from the Public Health Reserves Fund for the programme.

It forms part of Sheffield’s broader plan to become a more sustainable and climate-resilient city, as the programme hopes to engage with the wider community around the educational settings, supporting them to save money and reduce the impact of heat and flood in the home.

Alex Green, Head of Ashden’s Let’s Go Zero campaign, praised the move: “This project shows what’s possible when public health, education and climate goals come together—and we hope it becomes a blueprint for action across the UK.”

The initiative complements regional efforts such as Sheffield Hallam University’s “Project in a Box: Think Climate” and the “Good Life Schools” programme, which promote sustainability in primary and secondary education.

Councillor Ben Miskell said: “The impacts of our changing climate are becoming more obvious every day. We all have a role to play in reducing emissions and adapting to change.”

Tim Roberts, Chair of the Sheffield Pride of Place board, added that supporting green projects in under-resourced communities helps “restore pride, improve health, social cohesion and climate resilience.”

Applications are now open via the council’s website.