There has never been a better time for councils to help set the green agenda, says Nicola Bulbeck
With climate change at the forefront of the national and international agenda, it’s no surprise that councils are expected to drive forward the carbon cutting agenda, and lead by example.
Is it realistic for local councils – organisations often perceived as playing ‘catch up’ – to be at the forefront of the green agenda?
Well, yes, and now that people have tuned in to the problem, local government needs to come up with new ideas on what to do about it.
Teignbridge in south Devon benefits from a reputation as one of the greenest authorities in the country, with recycling rates of more than 50%, and in the national top 10. Last year, a DEFRA report noted that Teignbridge had the second-lowest amount of waste per head going to landfill in the country.
We’ve been one of the few districts, nationwide, to go live with a Carbon Management Plan, in partnership with the Carbon Trust, and are in the midst of appointing a cross-border, shared, full-time climate change officer, who will work across a shared services partnership.
In short, Teignbridge isn’t shy about blowing its green trumpet – but there’s so much more to do, and we’re eager to innovate with others, even though our recent achievements do prove that size doesn’t matter when it comes to fostering a climate of change in the context of climate change.
We all know about the three ‘R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle. But in Teignbridge, when it comes to the environment, we’re focusing on the three ‘E’s – educate, encourage, engage. If there’s one home truth about the three Rs, it’s that they’re good for everyone else. Our public unfailingly expect us to follow a green agenda, but in some places, this fails to translate to the individual in the home. However, making a change effective relies on the support of the majority, and with climate change such a ‘hot’ topic, there’s never been a better time to drive the responsibility home.
In looking to educate, encourage and engage, Teignbridge has undertaken a variety of campaigns aimed at giving people ownership of their carbon footprint, and emphasising their responsibility to reduce it.
It’s a truism that children are our future and, to this end, we have been delivering the green message at an early age, with a full-time waste education officer arranging frequent visits, projects and competitions in primary schools, to educate and engage young people.
Recent activities have included a drawing competition, which saw Teignbridge refuse trucks re-branded with environmental slogans and the names of the young winners. This sparked the imagination of more than 200 schoolchildren, and the 13 lucky winners got to come along and see their very own trucks before they took to the streets.
Elsewhere, we’ve taken all of the bins we recently removed from our offices – in favour of a communal recycling and composting system – and donated them to primary schools, together with compost and seeds.
We then ran a competition which encouraged youngsters to decorate the bins and reuse them as decorative planters – with the three winning schools each getting a £50 prize as a token reward for their participation.
This programme of education has helped plant the seeds of a lifelong green habit in local young people – who, we’re reliably informed, become our best ambassadors for recycling in the home.
Of course, it’s not just young people who need the three Es. The bigger challenge is helping those who’ve had many more years to pick up bad habits. In addition to tough enforcement when appropriate, we have sought to engage people in south Devon with events, competitions and roadshows. Recently, we asked the public to suggest their waste-reduction tips in a campaign called ‘Waste not – win lots!’.
The top five tips are going to be used as official advice to householders, and the overall winner was awarded with a two-night stay at a luxury local hotel – donated by the manager.
In keeping with the eco-theme, we ran the competition primarily online, attracting at least 300 entries. Elsewhere competitions have given away bikes, composters, and all manner of eco-friendly goodies.
But it can’t simply be a process of competitions and giveaways. While they certainly help encourage people to go green, there has to be the grass-roots operational support. And it’s here where local authorities can really start to play their cards right.
Last December, Teignbridge hit headlines as the first authority in the country to take delivery of a new fleet of eco-friendly refuse trucks, meeting the Euro 5i Compliance Standard, well in advance of the required timescales. Not only are these trucks more environmentally friendly, they are also more efficient, and were acquired at no extra cost to taxpayers, mainly by paying attention to detail during contract negotiations and ensuring the right staff do the job. It’s crucial that cleansing and recycling teams are staff who truly believe in their work and want to make a difference, backed by a bedrock of member support.
If there’s one top tip for helping reduce carbon emissions, and I’m not talking installing efficient lightbulbs, it’s nurturing talented and dedicated staff. The road to reducing carbon footprints starts with the right people doing the day job, and personal values matched to corporate values and ambition. Councils eager to perform a ‘greenwash’ overlook that at their peril.
Combating climate change is not an overnight step, but a process of changes, some step, some incremental, which, when combined, can make a massive impact on the world we live in.
For some, climate change may be viewed as a distraction. In a rural and coastal district with an economy linked to the environment, through tourism, farming, and with a need to attract the right kind of industry and provide significant housing, the dangers of climate change are very real. Local authorities have a clear community leadership role which encompasses strategies for the future, as well as short-term outcomes.
For this reason, and because we believe it’s the right thing to do, we’re aiming to accelerate our eco-friendly agenda to cherish the environment and save resources. A climate change officer will continue to identify policy and practical measures we can take to enable a greener future.
A Green Travel Plan, aimed at reducing staff’s reliance on cars, is en route – no mean feat in a rural area where public transport is often underwhelming and many staff live in outlying villages.
We’re doing the common sense stuff, such as improving office insulation and tasking ‘green envoys’ – staff in every service with a responsibility for promoting our eco-agenda – to do the rounds in the evening leaving ‘Turn it off!’ stickers on offending pieces of kit.
Our aim is for these small steps to help us live up to our responsibility and demonstrate that we walk the talk. It’s great to be part of local government’s response to one of today’s most pressing and enduring challenges.
Nicola Bulbeck is chief executive, Teignbridge DC
Is it realistic for local councils – organisations often perceived as playing ‘catch up’ – to be at the forefront of the green agenda?
Well, yes, and now that people have tuned in to the problem, local government needs to come up with new ideas on what to do about it.
Teignbridge in south Devon benefits from a reputation as one of the greenest authorities in the country, with recycling rates of more than 50%, and in the national top 10. Last year, a DEFRA report noted that Teignbridge had the second-lowest amount of waste per head going to landfill in the country.
We’ve been one of the few districts, nationwide, to go live with a Carbon Management Plan, in partnership with the Carbon Trust, and are in the midst of appointing a cross-border, shared, full-time climate change officer, who will work across a shared services partnership.
In short, Teignbridge isn’t shy about blowing its green trumpet – but there’s so much more to do, and we’re eager to innovate with others, even though our recent achievements do prove that size doesn’t matter when it comes to fostering a climate of change in the context of climate change.
We all know about the three ‘R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle. But in Teignbridge, when it comes to the environment, we’re focusing on the three ‘E’s – educate, encourage, engage. If there’s one home truth about the three Rs, it’s that they’re good for everyone else. Our public unfailingly expect us to follow a green agenda, but in some places, this fails to translate to the individual in the home. However, making a change effective relies on the support of the majority, and with climate change such a ‘hot’ topic, there’s never been a better time to drive the responsibility home.
In looking to educate, encourage and engage, Teignbridge has undertaken a variety of campaigns aimed at giving people ownership of their carbon footprint, and emphasising their responsibility to reduce it.
It’s a truism that children are our future and, to this end, we have been delivering the green message at an early age, with a full-time waste education officer arranging frequent visits, projects and competitions in primary schools, to educate and engage young people.
Recent activities have included a drawing competition, which saw Teignbridge refuse trucks re-branded with environmental slogans and the names of the young winners. This sparked the imagination of more than 200 schoolchildren, and the 13 lucky winners got to come along and see their very own trucks before they took to the streets.
Elsewhere, we’ve taken all of the bins we recently removed from our offices – in favour of a communal recycling and composting system – and donated them to primary schools, together with compost and seeds.
We then ran a competition which encouraged youngsters to decorate the bins and reuse them as decorative planters – with the three winning schools each getting a £50 prize as a token reward for their participation.
This programme of education has helped plant the seeds of a lifelong green habit in local young people – who, we’re reliably informed, become our best ambassadors for recycling in the home.
Of course, it’s not just young people who need the three Es. The bigger challenge is helping those who’ve had many more years to pick up bad habits. In addition to tough enforcement when appropriate, we have sought to engage people in south Devon with events, competitions and roadshows. Recently, we asked the public to suggest their waste-reduction tips in a campaign called ‘Waste not – win lots!’.
The top five tips are going to be used as official advice to householders, and the overall winner was awarded with a two-night stay at a luxury local hotel – donated by the manager.
In keeping with the eco-theme, we ran the competition primarily online, attracting at least 300 entries. Elsewhere competitions have given away bikes, composters, and all manner of eco-friendly goodies.
But it can’t simply be a process of competitions and giveaways. While they certainly help encourage people to go green, there has to be the grass-roots operational support. And it’s here where local authorities can really start to play their cards right.
Last December, Teignbridge hit headlines as the first authority in the country to take delivery of a new fleet of eco-friendly refuse trucks, meeting the Euro 5i Compliance Standard, well in advance of the required timescales. Not only are these trucks more environmentally friendly, they are also more efficient, and were acquired at no extra cost to taxpayers, mainly by paying attention to detail during contract negotiations and ensuring the right staff do the job. It’s crucial that cleansing and recycling teams are staff who truly believe in their work and want to make a difference, backed by a bedrock of member support.
If there’s one top tip for helping reduce carbon emissions, and I’m not talking installing efficient lightbulbs, it’s nurturing talented and dedicated staff. The road to reducing carbon footprints starts with the right people doing the day job, and personal values matched to corporate values and ambition. Councils eager to perform a ‘greenwash’ overlook that at their peril.
Combating climate change is not an overnight step, but a process of changes, some step, some incremental, which, when combined, can make a massive impact on the world we live in.
For some, climate change may be viewed as a distraction. In a rural and coastal district with an economy linked to the environment, through tourism, farming, and with a need to attract the right kind of industry and provide significant housing, the dangers of climate change are very real. Local authorities have a clear community leadership role which encompasses strategies for the future, as well as short-term outcomes.
For this reason, and because we believe it’s the right thing to do, we’re aiming to accelerate our eco-friendly agenda to cherish the environment and save resources. A climate change officer will continue to identify policy and practical measures we can take to enable a greener future.
A Green Travel Plan, aimed at reducing staff’s reliance on cars, is en route – no mean feat in a rural area where public transport is often underwhelming and many staff live in outlying villages.
We’re doing the common sense stuff, such as improving office insulation and tasking ‘green envoys’ – staff in every service with a responsibility for promoting our eco-agenda – to do the rounds in the evening leaving ‘Turn it off!’ stickers on offending pieces of kit.
Our aim is for these small steps to help us live up to our responsibility and demonstrate that we walk the talk. It’s great to be part of local government’s response to one of today’s most pressing and enduring challenges.
Nicola Bulbeck is chief executive, Teignbridge DC
