Climate Change
In recent years, the issues of climate change
and energy efficiency have significantly risen in priority in both
the public and political arenas. There is now a clear
national expectation from both central Government and the public
for local authorities to make action on these issues a
priority.
We have responded by signing up to the
Worcestershire Climate Change Pledge and reporting annually on
our progress. We’ve also signed up to the Nottingham
Declaration.
Our
five year strategy contains a goal on reducing the impacts of
climate change and household energy consumption. And we’re
jointly responsible for delivering targets in Worcestershire’s
Local Area Agreement on NI186 (carbon dioxide emissions per capita
in the local authority), NI187 (tackling fuel poverty) and NI188
(adapting to climate change).
In 2008, our Climate Change Group, which is
chaired by our Deputy Managing Director, commissioned free
independent advice from both the Energy Saving
Trust (EST) and Carbon Trust.
We participated in the EST’s one-to-one support programme, which
gave us access to free consultancy support and expert advice from
the EST to help us reduce our carbon emissions and show community
leadership. We applied to the Carbon Trust for a free energy audit
and technical advice to help us reduce our energy consumption in
the Civic Centre and our two Community Contact Centre. We
also asked the Carbon Trust to give us specific advice on a number
of sustainable energy options, such as movement sensitive lighting
and solar panels. The Carbon Trust consultant visited our
premises and compiled a detailed and fairly technical report of his
findings and recommendations.
As a result of our involvement with the EST
and Carbon Trust we developed a climate change action
plan, which contains a range of actions aimed at reducing our
energy consumption and impact on climate change over the next three
years. We’ve already delivered some of the actions in the
plan including energy efficiency awareness training and installing
new lights and loft insulation.
We’ve reduced energy use in our main Civic
Centre building over the last four years. We’re now using 8%
less total energy to run the Civic Centre than in 2005/06 and 13%
less electricity. For the last two years our electricity has
come from renewable sources.
We have consistently reduced our staff
business mileage over the last four years. Our staff now
drive 70,000 less miles year than they did in 2005/06. We
have a Travel Plan, which aims to promote and increase access to
travel choices and to reduce the impact of staff and councillor
travel on health and the environment. We provide covered
cycle parking and showers, offer a subsidised cycle scheme, promote
car sharing and have designated car share spaces.
We’re also involved in a range of community
projects, such as Warmer Worcestershire,
aimed at helping residents become more energy efficient and reduce
their energy bills.
