Energy use in schools will count towards the total emissions of local authorities under the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), the mandatory trading scheme that will encourage local authorities to reduce emissions.
Local authorities will be encouraged within the scheme to provide help and advice to schools on energy efficiency - cutting both their energy bills and their carbon footprints.
Hilary Benn made the announcement as he published new research which shows that 90 per cent of children think their school can take action to help tackle climate change.
Mr Benn said:
"Young people stand to gain most tomorrow from the action we take on climate change today. That's why schools should be included in the shift to a low carbon economy.
"Bringing schools into the carbon footprint of local authorities taking part in this scheme will encourage greater energy efficiency, with children seeing the results in their own schools. "
All individual schools will have to do is to supply information on their annual energy use to the local authority. These emissions will then be included in local authority total under the CRC.
In all, around 5000 large commercial and public sector organisations will be part of the CRC - including supermarkets, hotel chains, universities, water companies and government departments. The scheme will be revenue neutral, with those who perform best being rewarded financially for their efforts.
Other findings from the Climate Change Youth Tracker Survey published today include:
* six in ten are worried about climate change;
* 78 per cent think climate change is due to human behaviour;
* six in ten thought climate change would effect weather in their region;
* a third felt that the UK was already affected by climate change;
* 42 per cent believe they are taking action and of those respondents, 74 per cent of those recycle/make less waste, 44 per cent walk or cycle and 42 per cent use less energy; and
* 76 per cent felt that their home could use less energy.
Commenting on the survey Hilary Benn added:
"This survey is really encouraging. The enthusiasm and passion of young people for protecting the planet they will inherit gives us all hope for the future - and we have a duty both to live up to their expectations and to help make the changes we need."
The Government announced last December its long-term ambition for every new school building to be zero-carbon from 2016. The advisory Zero Carbon Task Force today (July 16) launched a call to evidence as part its work, which will report to Children's Secretary Ed Balls by the end of the year on overcoming the technological and cost barriers.
Ministers have already taken significant steps to cut energy use and encourage low carbon generation in schools to be the norm. Government has:
* announced £110 million specifically to install cutting-edge carbon reduction and renewable energy technology in more than 200 secondary schools undergoing major refurbishment over the next three years - most as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF). This was on top of the £21.9 billion capital investment in schools between 2008 and 2011, including £9.3 billion earmarked for BSF;
* set out a long-term ambition for all new school buildings to be zero-carbon by 2016. The Government has set up an advisory taskforce, led by the highly-respected architect Robin Nicholson, to report to ministers by the end of the year on overcoming the cost and technological barriers;
* introduced stricter design regulations meaning that energy use in new school buildings has already been slashed by 60 per cent on 2002 levels, thanks to stricter statutory regulations - which the Government is supporting with high-quality design guidance and advice;
* required all new school building projects to reach the "very good" standard on the internationally recognised independent BREEAM design assessment - which assess energy and water conservation, sustainable transport, low impact construction material use and biodiversity on school sites;
* developing a wider Carbon Management Strategy for the school system. This work is at an early stage and the Government is working with the Sustainable Development Commission and others partners to test feasibility and develop a practical strategy to reduce carbon emissions across the sector; and
* published the DCSF Sustainable Development Action Plan - "Brighter Futures - Greener Lives" last month, with supporting delivery plans outlining energy and carbon reduction management.
