Agenda item

The Board was presented with an update on progress on the Council’s Carbon Management Plan and the wider activity to reduce Co2 emissions across the Borough.

The Board was advised that according to the National and Local Policy Framework, the UK Climate Change Act 2008 required an 80% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions by 2050 including an interim target of a 34% reduction by 2020 (over a 1990 baseline).  This reduction in carbon emissions would also be driven by expected rising fossil fuel costs over the long term.  The UK’s decarbonisation agenda was also supported by a range of other legislation, strategies and policies including:

·       UK Renewable Energy Strategy;

·       Energy Act 2008;

·       Low Carbon Transition Plan; and

·       Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme (CRC)

Further, the Board was informed that this national framework provided the context for the City Region’s and Halton Council’s local policy framework for dealing with climate change and sustainable energy issues relating to: Liverpool City Region Sustainable Action Plan; The Council’s Corporate Plan; Sustainable Community Strategy; and the Council’s Carbon Management Plan.

Officers reported that since the National Indicator Set was abolished, there were no national indicators for measuring the performance around carbon reduction. However, the Council was required to report the Greenhouse Gas emissions from its own activities, to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) annually.

The report highlighted the areas of the Council’s estate which had been included in the Carbon Management Programme in 2008 and presented some results from the activities implemented to date.  Where investment had been made in energy efficient projects, the projects had paid for themselves in the short to medium term and on-going savings were still being achieved or long term income streams had been developed through investment in renewable technologies, taking advantage of the Feed In Tariff and Renewable Heat Incentive.  The Carbon Management Plan set a local target to reduce emission from the Council’s estate of between 5-10% by 2013 from a 2006/07 baseline.  Latest data showed there had been an overall reduction in emissions of 7% from the 2006/07 baseline to 2012/13.  This equated to a reduction from 26,338 tonnes of Co2e to 24,451 tonnes of Co2e.

It was noted that the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) was a new mandatory carbon emissions scheme that began in April 2010.  The Council had been a participant in Phase 1 of the Scheme which ran from 2010 to 2014.  It was noted that Phase 2 would commence in 2014 but Council would not be a participant as consumption did not meet the qualifying criteria.  This would result in an annual on-going saving of around £70,000 from 2015/16.

Reference was also made to the on-going work related to the Liverpool City Region Sustainability Energy Action Plan, particularly the opportunity to develop a decentralised Heat Network around East Runcorn.  Funding had been secured from the Heat Network Unit set up by the DECC to carry out a detailed feasibility study for the East Runcorn Area.

Members discussed the Carbon Management Plan and the possibilities of energy saving in the future.   

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.