The Local Authority EV Infrastructure Responsibility

It is (almost!) universally agreed that we need greater take-up of electric and other low emission vehicles to reduce fossil fuel use and carbon emissions and to tackle air quality problems. We also need charging facilities, investment in the grid, on-site generation, more green energy, cheaper EVs and so on and so on…The links between these and all of the other points in our energy ecosystem are multiple and complex.

A recent article in the Guardian stated that more than 100 local councils say they have no plans to increase the number of EV charging points they offer, 122 had a plan in place to increase the number and 62 said they were taking steps to increase the number without a formal plan whilst eight claimed they had no appropriate locations for installing new charging points. Whilst we should be aware that not all surveys are accurate, these results are a mixed bag and it would be easy to conclude that if one council can do it, they all can. Whilst local circumstances are important, political will is something which should be behind a significant desire for action and widespread across all public service providers.

Some commentators have noted that although local government is massively underfunded to address this specific task around EV infrastructure (quite true of course) the responsibility is not going to disappear, therefore they need to get their act together and start building. Having responsibility for something does not mean the resources to meet that responsibility are available within the same organisation.

There are three issues to address. One, that local authorities and other public service providers need to learn from one another. Two, research is needed into new business models to fund the infrastructure we need. And three, the responsibility for all things climate change to be recognised for what it really is – one that sits with local authorities, individuals, national and regional government and private business.

Councils are not turning their backs on climate change and they understand they have a leadership role in their localities but we all know there is a need for funding - hence the need for new ideas, sharing best practice and wider responsibility.