Laura Sharman 28 January 2020

Nearly half of councils unsure of their carbon footprint, research finds

Nearly half of councils in England do not know their own carbon footprint, new research has revealed.

A freedom of information request by ECA also found 43% of local authorities do not measure all the energy used in their council-owned buildings.

Although 49 of the councils surveyed said they are aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030, 11 of these do not currently know their own carbon footprint.

ECA energy advisor, Luke Osborne, said: ‘It’s highly concerning that almost half of local authorities do not know how much carbon they are responsible for or have a plan in place to reduce this amount moving forward.

‘Unless there is an imminent step change in their approach, it is inconceivable that councils are going to become carbon neutral in less than 30 years. There is a lot of rhetoric out there, but very few action plans.’

The survey also found the average carbon footprint of a council headquarter building was 1,234 tonnes of CO2 a year.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Supervisor (Relief) - Christian Head Residential Care Home WMF1081e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£35,745 - £36,648
We are looking for kind, compassionate candidates interested in the opportunity to make a real difference Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Governance Support Officer

City of York Council
Grade 6 Level 1- 4 (£26,224 to £28,725 per annum) reduced pro rata
Are you super-organised and looking for a part-time, flexible role, working term time only with a mix of office and home working? York, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: City of York Council

Customer Service Representatives

City of York Council
Grade 5 Level 1 - 4 (24,629 - £25,779 pro rata per annum)
Are you an amazing retail, tourism or contact centre worker with excellent customer service skills. York, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: City of York Council

Care Enabler

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
£23,893 pro rata (Pay award pending)
Do you want to help people maintain and increase their independence also have control over their lives? Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Programme Manager WMF1082e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£62,273 to £65,017
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Westmorland and Furness Programme Management Office Cumbria / Various
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council
Linkedin Banner

Partner Content

Circular highways is a necessity not an aspiration – and it’s within our grasp

Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.

Support from Effective Energy Group for Local Authorities to Deliver £430m Sustainable Warmth Funded Energy Efficiency Projects

Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.

Pay.UK – the next step in Bacs’ evolution

Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.