Becoming Net Zero Carbon Across The Corporate Building Estate

Becoming a net zero carbon authority is a challenging notion that is being put forward by more and more councils in the form of climate emergency declarations. There are different targets and different declaration motions with some authorities focussing on addressing their own activities and others striving for the whole locality to be zero carbon.

It is up to each council to decide what is in their own programme and any target will be a challenge. As the climate emergency declaration is a public statement it is imperative that a council makes progress with managing their own estate as part of its action plan. This provides a gateway to reduce operational costs, gain a return on investment, upgrade buildings and improve the health and well-being of its occupants and show leadership. The authority must lead by example, if they want to influence others to also reduce carbon and ensure that their own house is in order.

Many councils have already had great success with managing their own estate, reducing energy usage and generating local power and other authorities have a great opportunity to develop their own strategies to reduce energy.

This guide is intended for councils who may not currently have the resources or expertise to develop and deliver a strategy to reduce energy usage across their own estate and achieve their net zero target or may not have made substantial progress in the past.

Improving the performance of the council’s estate is a small but significant element in the organisation’s approach. It is not a topic which can be ignored in favour of more high-profile projects but should form a basic part of an action plan to meet established targets.

This publication will be available to all APSE Energy members without charge and a password will be sent separately. Non APSE Energy members may purchase the document. For further information contact Phil Brennan, Head of APSE Energy on 0161 772 1810 or at [email protected].