Catalonia will invest 2.5 billion euros to modernize every public school by 2031. The first 100 schools will see air conditioning or insulation upgrades. The plan aims to address teacher unrest and aging infrastructure.
The Catalan government, led by Salvador Illa, has announced a 2.5 billion euro plan to adapt every public school in the region to climate challenges within five years. The initiative, presented in Barcelona, comes at a time of rising tension with teachers and the threat of strikes. The Plan Actualiza Clima aims to upgrade 2,530 schools, with the first phase focusing on 100 priority sites and a budget of 100 million euros, according to RTVE. The Generalitat expects to mobilize the full 2.5 billion euros by 2030–2031.
In the first phase, 100 schools and institutes will receive upgrades during the current legislative term. Not all buildings will get air conditioning; some will have new windows or improved insulation instead. The initial work, budgeted at 100 million euros, is scheduled to finish by summer 2028, in line with the end of the school year and the legislature. Each school is set to receive about one million euros on average. Local councils are expected to manage much of the work and cover costs upfront, with the Generalitat reimbursing them gradually until 2037. La Vanguardia reports that the first 100 schools should be fully adapted by the 2027/2028 academic year.
"Since 2027, local authorities will be able to carry out and initially finance the works using their own resources or ICF loans, with the Generalitat reimbursing the costs."
— La Vanguardia
The announcement comes as negotiations between teachers’ unions and the government have stalled, and new protests are possible. Illa’s speech at the Museu Marítim was timed just before the Asamblea Educativa is expected to announce its next steps. The government’s message is that action is underway after years of neglect. According to RTVE and EFE, the new school year in Catalonia began with teacher strikes, protests, and demands for more resources, including climate adaptation of schools.
The plan also covers 51 public residences, with 580 million euros set aside for similar climate upgrades. Officials present these investments as a response to the climate emergency and as a way to address years of underfunding in public infrastructure. The urgency is heightened by recent setbacks in education, such as the fallout from the Pisa report, and by unrest in other public sectors—doctors have announced an indefinite strike, and the Interior ministry is still dealing with the departure of former police chief Trapero. El País notes that union demands include climate adaptation of schools, reduced workloads, more staff, and increased education funding.
While the government describes this as a major shift, details for the remaining 2,400-plus schools are still unclear. The plan relies on municipal cooperation and delayed reimbursements, which could become a problem if local budgets are stretched. Its success will depend on whether city councils can complete upgrades on time and whether the promised funding arrives as planned.
"RTVE confirms that a parallel emergency plan is already underway in 392 schools, with a budget of 20 million euros allocated for the installation of fans. This demonstrates that climate adaptation efforts began before the launch of the new five-year package, highlighting the urgency and complexity of the issue."
— RTVE
Alongside the school plan, Illa announced a new initiative to regulate artificial intelligence in the labor market, signaling that Catalonia intends to move ahead of European institutions. The government is also calling for a broad debate on education, aiming for "educational excellence" and a 6% investment target, to be managed through the Consell de Educació de Catalunya. This approach is similar to legal actions in other regions, such as Galicia’s efforts to recover public sector losses.
Illa’s administration wants to present itself as forward-looking, distancing Catalonia from the political gridlock of recent years. The president says the region is back on the international stage, with a stable economy and a government ready to tackle climate, technology, and demographic issues. The real test will be whether these promises lead to real improvements for students and teachers, or if the plan joins a long list of stalled reforms. The investment is larger than anything seen before, but skepticism remains among those who have watched similar pledges fall short. Over the next five years, the government will have to prove it can deliver on its commitments.
