Ashden’s policy asks have been adopted in three UK government strategies announced in January and February 2026. 

Alongside our partners, we’ve worked to make sure the plans bring maximum benefits to local communities, and give local people more control over how climate solutions are delivered. We’re delighted to see that many of our recommendations are reflected in the final strategies. 

In the last year we’ve targeted our advocacy at the Warm Homes Plan – aimed at improving energy efficiency and tackling fuel poverty – and the Local Power Plan, which seeks to expand local and community ownership of clean energy. We’ve also called for ambition in the Education Estates Strategy, shaping the future of England’s school buildings. 

We’ve influenced by speaking directly to government ministers and their advisers, and worked with allies and partners to produce events, reports and digital campaigns. Frequently showcasing Ashden Award winners, pioneering innovators whose work can be scaled up or replicated to make these strategies a success.  

Across all three areas, a clear shift is emerging: from fragmented, short-term schemes to more strategic, place-based delivery. In each case, we’ve argued that climate policy and investment works best when it empowers local organisations – enterprises, community groups, schools and councils – to co-ordinate solutions tailored to their communities.  

Why does this matter? Because local delivery creates wider value: cutting bills, improving public buildings, generating skilled jobs and retaining economic benefit in local areas. The test now is implementation – ensuring these commitments translate into durable change in communities.  

Our policy wins: 

The Warm Homes Plan 

This £15 billion plan aims to tackle fuel poverty and high energy bills, supporting the ‘retrofit’ of properties to make them more energy-efficient. It includes investment in insulation, heat pumps, solar and battery storage for up to five million homes by 2030.  

We’ve called for targeted action to support disadvantaged communities and households. So we’re please to see targeted grants for low-income households, renters and social tenants, alongside stronger standards and new finance options that should make whole-home upgrades more accessible. 

We also argued for more resources and powers to reach councils and local delivery partners. So we’re glad to see the plan’s shift towards area-based, place-led delivery, with funding flowing through local authorities and aligned to Local Area Energy Plans. 

The Local Power Plan 

This plan sets out a clear national commitment to scale community energy, backed by £1 billion of new investment to support more than 1,000 local clean energy projects by 2030, and long-term delivery support. This reflects our recommendation for government to be an ‘active partner’ to the community energy sector.  

Across the board, the plan prioritises community ownership, and keeping revenue and benefits from energy generation within local communities. We have consistently argued that clean energy can be a driver of community wealth and economic resilience.  

It’s also exciting to see progress on mandating large commercial renewables projects to offer a form of shared ownership to local communities. This has potential to be a flagship policy for a fairer energy system. 

The Education Estates Strategy 

Our advocacy on this strategy has been rooted in Let’s Go Zero – Ashden’s campaign for all UK schools, colleges and nurseries to be zero carbon by 2030. With more than 8,700 schools signed up to the campaign, we’re well placed to share the challenges and opportunities of school decarbonisation – and call for effective change. 

We’re pleased to see a host of positive developments in the strategy. Its new, strategic Renewal and Retrofit Programme is a step towards the more simple, fair and comprehensive funding approach we have long called for. The strategy also signals intent to unlock approved private investment for building upgrades, another of our asks. 

Crucially, the expanded Sustainability Support Programme will give more guidance and resources to individual schools across the country. Our own Let’s Go Zero Climate Action Advisors have already delivered tailored support to thousands of UK schools, so we understand the huge impact this can have. 

Ashden partners in the spotlight 

As well as seeing our recommendations adopted, our partners – including many Ashden Award winners – were highlighted in the Government’s strategies, as case studies of pioneering work. This underscores our crucial role in highlighting innovation to policymakers. Those mentioned include Emergent Energy, who bring the benefits of community-owned solar to the capital’s residents.   

While we’re delighted with these wins, there’s a lot of work still to do. Not least in making sure these plans are delivered effectively, and that future Government strategies are bold and ambitious. We’ll do this by showcasing innovation and practical insights gathered though our programmes, like the Energy Learning Network – which powers progress in community energy. We’ll continue engaging with policymakers and showcasing solutions throughout 2026 and beyond.