AoC & EAUC Sector Events 2026 — Where FE Sustainability Leads Should Be
Calendar of UK FE sustainability sector events 2026 — AoC Annual Conference, EAUC events, Climate Action Roadmap regional summits, and where Sustainability Leads should attend.
UK FE sustainability is increasingly a connected sector — the AoC, EAUC, and a growing constellation of regional climate networks run events that Sustainability Leads benefit from attending. Here’s the 2026 calendar and what each event delivers.
Headline national events
AoC Annual Conference (November 2026, Birmingham)
The single biggest UK FE sector event. ~1,500 delegates from FE corporations across England. Sustainability now has dedicated track sessions following the November 2024 Climate Action Roadmap launch.
- Sustainability track sessions: AoC Climate Action Plan case studies, sector-leadership awards, PSDS Phase 4 outcomes review, T-Level Capital sustainability scoring debrief
- Why attend: Cross-sector benchmarking, Government policy signals, EAUC Scorecard rating reveal
- Cost: ~£600-£850 per delegate
- Recommended for: Sustainability Lead + Principal/CEO + Director of Finance
EAUC FE Climate Roadmap Annual (September 2026, Loughborough)
EAUC’s flagship FE-specific sustainability event. Smaller than AoC Annual (~250 delegates) but more focused on practitioner detail. Specific FE Climate Roadmap implementation tracks.
- Track sessions: Climate Action Plan implementation, EAUC Sustainability Leadership Scorecard scoring, peer-to-peer regional networks
- Why attend: Practitioner-level detail that AoC Annual sometimes lacks
- Cost: ~£350-£500 per delegate
- Recommended for: Sustainability Lead + Director of Estates
FE Week Festival of Skills (July 2026, Birmingham NEC)
FE sector media event with growing sustainability content. Less dedicated sustainability focus than AoC/EAUC, but valuable for cross-sector skills + sustainability narrative.
- Recommended for: Sustainability Lead (if budget allows)
Regional FE climate networks
Five regional FE climate networks meet quarterly in 2026:
- AoC London Climate Network — quarterly meetups for London FE corporations
- WMCA FE Climate Forum — Birmingham, regional + WMCA-funded
- Yorkshire FE Sustainability Network — Leeds rotation, run jointly with West Yorkshire CA
- NE England FE Climate Group — Newcastle, includes NCG + Sunderland + Northumberland
- South West FE Climate Forum — Bristol, includes City of Bristol + SGS + Petroc + Bridgwater & Taunton
All free or low-cost (£20-£60 per meeting). High peer-learning value. Recommended for new Sustainability Leads particularly.
Welsh + Scottish + NI events
Welsh FE Sustainability Forum (March + October 2026, Cardiff)
Welsh Government Energy Service convenes Welsh FE Sustainability Leads twice a year. Covers Welsh-specific funding (Welsh Government Energy Service, Welsh Net Zero Capital), Welsh language signage requirements, Welsh-specific public sector net zero 2030 obligations.
Scottish FE Sustainability (June 2026, Edinburgh)
College Development Network (CDN) convenes Scottish FE Sustainability Leads. SFC Climate Emergency Fund + Scottish Government Net Zero 2045 framework specific.
NI FE Climate Network (May 2026, Belfast)
DfE NI + Belfast Met convene NI FE Sustainability Leads. Covers NIE Networks G99 process, DAERA Climate Programme, cross-border decarbonisation opportunities.
DESNZ + Salix Finance webinars
Salix Finance runs quarterly webinars on PSDS Phase 4 + Salix Decarbonisation Loan for the FE sector. Free to attend, typically 60-90 minutes. Covers:
- Current round status
- Bid mechanics and scoring updates
- Sector benchmarking data
- Forthcoming changes (Phase 5 confirmation, term adjustments, etc.)
Recommended for any Sustainability Lead actively bidding.
Skills England forums
Skills England (June 2025+) runs quarterly Green Skills Forums in London with sector representation. By invitation. AoC nominates FE representatives; Sustainability Leads at large group corps are typically eligible.
Forum themes:
- T-Level Green Skills throughput
- Apprenticeship sustainability route development
- Sector-employer engagement on green skills
Suppliers and industry events
Beyond sector events, several supplier-side events draw FE Sustainability Lead attendance:
- Solar & Storage Live (April + October 2026, Birmingham NEC) — UK solar industry event, useful for installer scouting and technology updates
- All-Energy (May 2026, Glasgow) — UK-wide renewables event, broader than solar
- EcoBuild / FutureBuild (March 2026, ExCeL London) — built environment sustainability, useful for combined heat-and-PV bundle context
- BREEAM Awards (October 2026, London) — BREEAM Excellent case studies for T-Level new-build benchmarking
Practical attendance plan
For a Sustainability Lead with typical £2,000-£3,000/year events budget:
- Mandatory: AoC Annual Conference (Nov) + EAUC FE Climate Roadmap (Sep) + 4 regional network meetings
- Recommended: Salix webinars (free) + relevant supplier event (1 per year)
- Optional: Government / sector consultations as opportunities arise
Total ~£1,800-£2,400/year for two delegates across the main events. Strong ROI on networking value alone.
How to log attendance for AoC/EAUC reporting
Both AoC Climate Action Plan and EAUC Sustainability Leadership Scorecard reward sector engagement. Track:
- Events attended (by Sustainability Lead and other directors)
- Sessions led / presentations delivered
- Network roles (chair, committee member, regional rep)
- Sector consultations responded to
This evidence appears in the corporation’s annual Climate Action Plan progress update and the EAUC Scorecard return.