2019

RENEW063 - Assessing emissions for report decision notices and business cases - 241219

This authority has introduced a requirement on all decision notices, business cases and procurement business cases to declare the expected emissions resulting from recommended actions and how these can be kept to a minimum. They are looking to produce a toolkit to assist those writing reports. They would like to know whether other authorities have introduced a similar approach and, if so, which carbon calculators or other tools they are using to identify emissions.

---

RENEW062 - Climate change impact statements on reports - 051219

This authority is looking at methods for ensuring how the carbon impact of internal policy decisions can be considered. This includes how climate change impacts can be included in reports as a matter of course, in a similar way to finance, procurement, community impacts and legal comments. Please reply with examples of guidance provided to staff for writing reports to help assess Carbon & Climate Change and any other related support. We realise the need to help officers and councillors understand the climate change agenda if they are going to contribute to the Council’s action and we are looking for evidence of how this is being put into practice

---

RENEW061 - What degree / type of “offsetting” is credible to help complete a local journey towards net zero? - 051219

This authority is looking to identify any formal, national definitions or criteria as to what can legitimately, credibly count towards net zero, in terms of offsetting etc. They’d be interested in any research or rationale that anyone has found or commissioned or come up with that would help them to tackle that. Ideally something scientific or authoritative (e.g. from a Government or scientific body), if that exists. They would also be interested to know what other authorities are allowing for in terms of % of emissions that they are planning to offset and legitimately declare themselves as net zero carbon.

---

?RENEW060 - Specification for EV charge points in council car parks for residential use - 111119

A member authority has gained an OLEV capital grant to install EV charging points in council owned car parks for residents to use. They are interested to know whether any other local authority has developed a specification for this kind of work and is willing to share it.

---

RENEW059 - Data for Climate Emergency Declarations - 080819

This authority is drawing up an Environment Strategy, and part of their work is analysing data to inform the Climate Emergency Declaration. They are able to find emissions data (the BEIS data published at the end of June) but not NET emissions data (other than LULUCF net emissions). They are interested to know:

• If others are able to access NET emissions data for their authorities and if so where from
• If others have used net LULUCF emissions data and consider that sufficient to use to set realistic net zero targets based on current trends
• Which further data others have used as part of planning for climate emergency declarations and action plans and where they have accessed that data.

---

RENEW058 - Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards - 190719

This authority is looking at enforcing minimum energy efficiency standards for private landlords They are keen to hear from other local authorities who have had experience in enforcing the regulation below Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulation which allows councils to impose significant financial penalties on commercial landlords who let out non domestic properties with an environmental performance certificate (EPC) rate worse than E. This authority has found significant obstacles to implementing this and would welcome thoughts and experience on the matter.

---

RENEW057 - Energy data management and account billing – 190719

This Local Authority is looking at reviewing their energy data management and account billing options Any feedback will be gratefully received, specifically on the following;

A. What software you use for energy data management and reporting

B. What solutions do you adopt for elegy account management (i.e. in house or Bureau service), where its in-house what software do you use?

---

RENEW056 - Staff Training for EPC Assessments – 110719

This Local Authority is looking at the feasibility of training staff to undertake non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), level 3 & 4 assessments in-house, do any other Local Authorities carry out and charge for operating an in-house non-domestic EPC service for the sale or rent of their buildings? If so how do you charge for this service? 

---

RENEW055 - Climate Emergency Action Plans – 110719

This local authority has six months to produce a detailed plan of how they will be a carbon neutrality organisation by 2030. They would be very interested to hear from other APSE members on the practicalities of how they have actually gone/going from their declarations and through the process of developing their action plans. Any feedback on the following will be gratefully received:

1. What groups have been formed, their frequency, governance arrangements and who was involved? Have some LAs involved Elected Members for example?

2. Have LAs employed external consultants to guide them through the process, inform the technical solutions or advise on carbon data collection and targets?

3. Have LAs used carbon budgets or energy road mapping or any other specific techniques within their action plans?

4. How do LAs envisage they will implement their action plans? Will they be creating new teams or recruiting extra staff to deliver for example?

5. What is the scale of additional resources, either staff or capital measures, required? Where it is internal resources how have these business cases been justified and received? Have social benefits been used as part of the justification?

6. Any other useful advice and feedback on how to develop declarations in to action plans.

---

RENEW054 - Alternative approaches and innovation – 050719

This local authority is beginning to look at its current and future approaches to managing the environment, energy, low carbon and fuel poverty. The local authority and regulatory landscape is changing rapidly, there is a requirement for a more commercially minded approach to service delivery and the challenge of climate change once again is rising up the agenda of local and national government. At the same time, the scale of opportunity available to Council’s in the changing energy, renewables, low carbon and community energy sector is significant. As part of the work to explore models, alternative approaches and the benefits that could be secured in managing internal and external energy matters differently, this Council is keen to hear from others who have considered or progressed something similar. This might include but not restricted to internal energy management, energy supply and trading, arm’s length energy company, long term investment plans and invest to save projects. They are keen to hear from other local authorities who have undertaken what they consider to be innovative projects and/or that match the criteria above.

---

RENEW053 - Climate Emergency Declarations and net zero carbon - 140619

Several councils have recently declared a ‘climate emergency’ and have also committed to become net zero carbon local authorities by a specified date. This authority is one of those and is very interested to know what others local authorities are including within the scope of the ‘net zero carbon’ equation. For example – is this confined to direct, measurable emissions (e.g. from non-domestic buildings; street lighting; fleet mileage; and business mileage) or are emissions from various other service areas also being included? All thoughts on this matter will be gratefully received.

---

RENEW052 - Energy Strategies - 110619

This authority is looking at putting a council wide energy strategy in place and are keen to see examples of other recent examples of similar strategies. If you have written one recently – within the past 12 months – please send a copy or a link to your website

---

RENEW051 - Embedding UN Sustainable Development Goals - 110619

This authority is considering embedding the UN Sustainable Development Goals into their planning, practice and reporting. They are currently involved with the goals with schools from an educational perspective but have found little evidence of other local authority engagement. They are interested to know

• whether others use these goals as part of their processes
• the benefits of using them
• if they have considered but rejected using them and why.

---

RENEW050 - Air Quality Sensors - 240119

This authority is looking at utilising air quality sensors to get real time or near real time data on air quality in their borough to act as decision support and for measuring the impact of actions. This is not restricted to the area within their Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) but for the whole of the borough. They are interested in hearing from others who have used sensors and/or real time modelling systems for AQ including the following:-

• Details of the make and model and software used
• How effective they are?
• How well calibrated they are?
• How much they cost?
• Whether you would recommend them

Any other relevant information would be gratefully accepted.

---

RENEW049 - Local Authorities and Water Supply Licences - 240119

Following water deregulation there has been talk about local authorities gaining water supply licences in order to address issues of poor customer service from existing suppliers and to make savings. APSE Energy is looking to gather some information about this issue and would be grateful for responses to the following questions:

1. If your council has concerns about your current water supply or supplier, what are they?

2. Has your council gained or applied for a water supply licence?

3. If so what was the outcome?

4. Is your council likely to apply for a licence over the next 6 months?

5. Has your council considered applying for a licence but is not likely to apply within the next 6 months?

6. What factors might put you off applying?

Please let me know if you have any relevant opinions or comments.