Many Councils around the UK have committed themselves to the concept of a Climate Emergency.
A number have signed themselves up to zero and near zero carbon reduction targets in line with Government (net zero Carbon by 2050). In many cases, these have been much more radical.
Their next steps will be crucial in delivering on these ambitions.
Key to addressing this agenda at a time when many Council sustainability, energy, transport and air quality officers may have been lost to austerity, is getting the Council’s baseline established.
By understanding this, a Council can set a point from which to begin. The next step is understanding what the estate needs to do to deliver on this laudable target. To do this, key sites will need to be audited and opportunities, controls and technologies assessed and ranked.
Councils will realise that these targets cannot be met by energy efficiency and rationalisation alone (albeit these are where some of the largest savings are likely to be made). There are numerous other areas and transport will play a pivotal role for many authorities with mileage reimbursement (and all its allied complications). By understanding the whole, a Council can set data-driven and achievable targets based on reality.
It can then assess any shortfall between achievable and zero carbon ambitions and establish ways of filling any such gap.
With 17 years working in local government sustainability, energy, transport roles and working together with a number of public sector bodies, CLS Energy are specialists in this arena. Contact us to discuss how we might help you achieve these challenging but necessary ambitions.
Notes for the Editor
Alan Asbury (Director at CLS Energy) has saved one council over 47% of their grey fleet (mileage reimbursement) costs (or £104,000 saved per year).
As their Sustainability and Energy manager, Alan overachieved on Aylesbury Vale District Council’s Carbon Reduction Targets of 22% (22.3%) by 2012 (a full one year early) and 30% (36%) by 2020 (a full 4 years early in 2016/17) and saved them over £240,000 per year from the energy bills.
CLS Energy have delivered energy savings of up to 55% and regularly delivered seven figure cashable savings for our fleet customers.
See some of our testimonials.
