Helping councils count greenhouse gas emissions

It is vitally important that local authorities continue their leadership role.

There was some good news in relation to climate change recently, when the UK’s Third Carbon Budget (running from 2018 to 2022) was found to have been met with a surplus, assisted by the impact of covid on the economy.

Under the Climate Change Act 2008, carbon budgets are the legal targets for UK greenhouse gas emissions over a five-year period. The Climate Change Committee – the independent body which holds the UK government to account on emissions – congratulated the government but advised unequivocally that surplus emissions must not be carried forward to loosen later carbon budgets.

In this context it is vitally important that councils continue their leadership role in reducing GHG emissions in the UK. Councils have control and influence over scopes one, two and three emissions produced as result of their own services, and as result of emissions produced by other organisations in their areas.

Local Partnerships, with support from the Local Government Association, has provided free tools for councils to use to account for their emissions since 2020, which can be found in the Resource Hub.

There are two tools – one to account for GHG emissions across a wide spectrum, and a waste emissions calculator which is specific to emissions produced as a result of the collection and disposal of waste. The tools are updated based on user feedback which can be sent to ghgaccounting@localpartnerships.gov.uk.

Last month a webinar discussed the latest updates to the tools. You can view the presentations here.

Can we help?

Do you have a greenhouse gas emissions project you would like help with, or could we answer a question about our services? Contact us via the contact form on this page or use our contact us page

Local Partnerships is a wholly owned public sector consultancy delivering value and efficacy to the public purse.