UK Example of an Energy Action Plan and

UK Example of an Energy Action Plan and Climate Change Strategy Redditch Borough Council & Bromsgrove District Council Rachel Jones, Act on Energy 15 th May 2012

Bromsgrove District I 2

Redditch Borough I 3

UK Strategic Context Then Government introduced the Climate Change Act (2008) a legally binding obligation on the UK to reduce its CO 2 emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050. They also proposed an interim target in the Low Carbon Transition Plan (2009) of reducing UK carbon emissions by 34% by 2020. The Renewable Energy Strategy (2009) also requires the UK to source 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 (2008 level was 5. 4%) I 4

What’s our carbon footprint locally? Year Industry and Commercial Domestic Road Transport LULUCF (Land Use emissions/ removals) Total Population ('000 s, midyear estimate) Per Capita Emissions (t) Bromsgrove 2005 148. 3 242. 5 504. 4 10. 9 906. 0 91. 1 9. 9 Bromsgrove 2006 156. 2 247. 1 496. 9 9. 3 909. 5 91. 7 9. 9 Bromsgrove 2007 150. 2 240. 3 501. 6 9. 4 901. 4 92. 4 9. 8 Bromsgrove 2008 151. 2 240. 4 483. 9 9. 8 885. 3 93 9. 5 Redditch 2005 324. 2 182. 7 105. 7 2. 4 614. 9 78. 5 7. 8 Redditch 2006 325. 6 186. 7 104. 6 2. 2 619. 1 78. 6 7. 9 Redditch 2007 312. 0 181. 3 106. 2 2. 3 601. 7 78. 6 7. 7 Redditch 2008 298. 9 180. 5 102. 6 2. 3 584. 4 78. 8 7. 4 I 5

Local authority one-to-one support programme Aim: To help the local authority reduce area wide, per capita carbon emissions. Objectives: To provide a structured approach to carbon and energy reduction. To provide a review of progress to date and recommendations for improvement. To help develop a prioritised action plan to reduce carbon emissions. To signpost to best practice and funding. I 6

The Council’s role §Leaders in the community §Deliver and regulate services such as housing and planning §Management of own Estate §Interpret national policy into local action I 7

Where to start? How an organisation like a Council uses energy is complicated Responsibility often shared between the buildings team, planners, housing team, waste and recycling team, and economic development. Then someone has to persuade the residents and businesses to take part! This sometimes means NOBODY is responsible, and activity is slow as it is not seen as a priority So, the first thing to do is get everyone together and achieve buy-in! I 8

The EST Support Process Gain high level support Undertake workshops to gain data on where the council is currently Benchmark data Provide recommendations for improvement I 9

Data Collection Through Questionnaire Divided into key LG areas, strategy, own estate etc. Delivered with support from Climate Change Manager & 121 Manger I 10

Sample of questionnaire for baseline data I 11

Benchmarking I 12

Key Report Findings Progress to date I 13

Strategy I 14

Services I 15

Community Leadership I 16

Own Estate I 17

Strategy As part of developing a strategic approach, the Council should set long term (10 years +) targets and a timescale for reducing energy consumption across its own estate and service delivery. The Council should continue to support its LAA NI 186 3% reduction target for the wider community and ensure continuation of targets after current LAA in 2011. Ensure that a cross-council system is in place for gathering data relating to sustainable energy (including energy use in the Council’s estate, the energy efficiency of public and private sector housing stock, planning applications relating to the use of microgeneration etc). Promote leadership role to members of the Local Strategic Partnership to ensure that key players are bought into deliver against NI 186. Consider making a commitment to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by a particular date (as per the Government’s own pledge) and at least commit to the Government’s Climate Change Act 2008 objectives. Embark upon a staff awareness campaign. The Council could if feasible assign energy costs to each department and set targets for reduction. I 18

Services The Council should ensure the regeneration or new build projects recognise the value of energy efficiency improvements. Renewal/regeneration schemes could also actively seek projects delivering energy efficiency advice and improvements, with specific targets. Develop partnerships with RSLs with a named officer lead. This would enable the Council to obtain energy ratings and data for HECA/NI 186 returns, and would give the Council a better overall picture of the social housing stock. It may be possible to set up joint energy efficiency schemes to help achieve minimum standards across all social housing or link up on advice and awareness campaigns to tenants. The Council should continue if not expand its current work developing specific programmes for tackling privately owned housing, including energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies where possible. Introduce a specific programme for tackling privately rented housing, including energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies where possible. Redditch Borough Council should ensure specific energy policies remain within the Draft Preferred Options of the Core Strategy, eg 10% target for renewables/CHP in new build and the Code for Sustainable Homes I 19

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Main themes of a robust CC strategy Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Peak Oil I 21

What can a Council do? I 22

Resource efficiency is an overall theme Water Waste I 23

Food waste is a hidden energy cost If we all stop wasting food that could have been eaten, the benefit to the planet would be the equivalent of taking 1 in 5 cars off the road. I 24

Transport. . . (the difficult one) I 25

What can a Council do? I 26

Over to you! Thank you for listening… I 27