To facilitate our transition to net zero, the 2030 Net Zero Council action plan has been developed, which identifies carbon reduction actions for key emissions sources, covering:
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Estates – carbon emissions from council buildings including energy consumption alongside the opportunities to generate local renewable energy and sequester carbon across the estate.
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Fleet – carbon emissions from fuel used (e.g., diesel and petrol) in vehicles operated by the council.
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Business travel – carbon emissions associated with staff journeys undertaken for work purposes in staff vehicles, also known as ‘grey fleet’.
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Streetlighting and traffic signals – focussed on the emissions from electricity use to power streetlighting and traffic signals operated by the council.
The action plan also includes the following key enabling actions required to support the transition to net zero:
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Financing net zero – costs and savings associated with achieving net zero and sources of funding.
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Embedding net zero into the Council – the way in which net zero is built into the normal functioning of council operations, including in procurement, decision making, learning and development opportunities and engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
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Net zero ways of working – the way in which council and its staff operate to deliver council activities and services.
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Out of scope emissions – The council’s wider scope of emissions as a result of activities the council indirectly impacts in its value chain.
The actions and projects within our plan are monitored and reviewed on a regular basis and an annual update will be made available each year to the public.
Greenhouse gas report
The council publishes an annual greenhouse gas emissions report to measure and report its carbon reduction performance progress towards the 2030 net zero council commitment. Since its 2008-09 baseline, we have reduced emissions from our own operations by over 70%. This has been achieved through the council using on-site renewable energy and significant emissions reductions from business travel, streetlighting and traffic signals, buildings, and fleet vehicles.
The report focusses on our own operational greenhouse gas emissions for the latest financial year, which includes emissions from the council’s buildings, fleet vehicles, streetlighting and traffic signals, business travel, water, and waste.