Carbon Management Plan reduces Council carbon footprint
Highland Councillors have been told that the Council has reduced its carbon emissions by 13% over the past five years thanks to the introduction and implementation of its Carbon Management Plan.
Savings have been achieved through reduced energy use in Council offices, reduced mileage, fleet fuel savings and a reduction in waste disposal.
Despite two successive cold winters over the period, resulting in a greater need for heating, the Council has continued to make more efficient use of energy through staff behaviour change, insulation measures and heating controls. Combined with a move away from oil fired heating systems to carbon neutral biomass boilers this has resulted in an overall saving of 16% or 1720 tonnes C02 since 2007/08. Due to increasing energy prices over this time overall costs have increased by 2%, however the costs avoided (the price the Council would have paid had consumption levels remained as high as in 2007/08) amount to a saving of £1.8million.
The introduction of a travel hierarchy and travel booking system, together with cuts to Service travel budgets, has led to a reduction of over 3 million business miles travelled since 2007/08. Staff are encouraged to use telephone/video conferencing, public transport and lift share. In 2012 the Council has introduced two new electric pool cars with funding assistance from the Scottish Government. Initiatives to promote walking and cycling are regularly carried out and facilities to encourage greater uptake in cycling (lockers, covered cycle racks) have been installed across many Council sites.
The Council continues to rationalise its number of fleet vehicles and together with a programme of fitting speed limiters and fuel efficient driver training has succeeded in reducing fuel use and associated C02 emissions by 13% since 2007/08.
Internal waste sent to landfill has reduced by 9% due to the installation of recycling facilities and alternated weekly collections for offices and schools.
Councillor David Alston, Depute Leader of The Highland Council said: “The Highland Council is successfully managing and reducing carbon from its operations and services through its Carbon Management Plan. This also reduces costs and serves to protect our local and global environment. However, much more is needed if we are to avoid irreversible climate change. The Highland public can help to reduce emissions by reducing their energy, waste and travel as small actions together can amount to a positive change.”
New actions are being developed to continue to reduce carbon emissions that will meet the Scottish Governments target of 42% overall saving by 2020 as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. More information is available at: http://www.highland.gov.uk/climatechange.htm