UK: Carbon management programme

Over 20% of the local authorities in the UK are now taking part in an innovative programme to help them manage their carbon emissions. Phase four of the programme run by the Carbon Trust was launched in May 2006. The programme provides councils with support and guidance to cut their carbon emissions and reduce energy costs. To date, 63 authorities have identified savings of £20.5 million (29 million euro) and 300,000 tonnes of carbon during the first three phases of the programme, across all sites involved. The programme is designed to deliver improved energy management to reduce emissions under the direct control of the local authority such as buildings, vehicle fleets, street-lighting and landfill sites. It also provides practical support to organisations by helping them identify carbon saving opportunities, providing tools to analyse energy consumption and delivering workshop support for staff and senior managers to enable them to ?embed? carbon management into the day to day business of the council. The programme is supported by a bespoke toolkit ? a web-based manual that gives detailed guidance on the programme?s process, technical advice and examples of best practice. One organisation that has benefited from the programme is Suffolk County Council in the East of England. With an annual energy bill of more than £12 million (17 million euro) and annual emissions of more than 54,000 tonnes of carbon, the plan has identified how to reduce the council's carbon emissions by 7.5 per cent and save £2 million (2.8 million euro) in energy costs over 5 years (based on 2002/03 levels). The energy-saving recommendations that the council is working towards include an Energy and Carbon Efficiency Loan Fund, business travel mileage reduction and a woodchip boiler initiative. During this financial year, the authority will be implementing a number of initiatives, including an investment of £100,000 (140,000 euro) in the Energy and Carbon Efficiency Loan Fund, and four woodchip boilers in schools. It is estimated that this will result in approximately 500 tonnes of CO2 savings in its first year. The Carbon Trust in an independent company set up by government to help the UK meet its climate change obligations. The Carbon Trust creates practical business-focused solutions to carbon emission reduction on energy efficiency, carbon management, and investment. www.carbontrust.co.uk