Greenhouse gas accounting tool

The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Matrix is a practical tool designed to help local authorities understand, assess and respond to the potential impacts of climate change and extreme weather on waste services and supporting infrastructure.

The matrix considers a range of climate-related hazards, including heatwaves, flooding and extreme cold, and their potential implications for collection services, household waste and recycling centres, transfer stations, operational depots and key supply chain facilities. It provides a high-level checklist of both short- and longer-term adaptation and mitigation measures that authorities can consider to strengthen the resilience and continuity of their services.

Drawing on research, case studies and stakeholder engagement, the matrix brings together practical actions and considerations in one place. It is not intended to prescribe a single approach; rather, it provides a flexible framework that local authorities can adapt to reflect their own climate risks, infrastructure, service models, geography and local circumstances.

The toolkit also highlights opportunities to embed climate resilience into existing organisational processes and decision-making, rather than treating adaptation as a standalone activity. This includes considering resilience measures through procurement and contract management, budget and capital planning, policy and strategy reviews, asset management, service transformation programmes and wider operational planning.

By using the matrix as a prompt for discussion, review and forward planning, local authorities can identify vulnerabilities, prioritise appropriate interventions and progressively build greater resilience into waste services, infrastructure and supply chains.

How can councils help shape the energy infrastructure needed to support housing, regeneration and local growth?

Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESP), led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), introduce a new regional layer of energy planning across England, Scotland and Wales. They will help shape where and when energy infrastructure investment takes place, with significant implications for local growth and decarbonisation ambitions.

With NESO inviting participation in RESP Strategic Boards and Working Groups, this guide helps local and combined authorities consider what they need to put in place to take an effective role in regional energy planning.

Drawing on interviews with local authorities, it sets out practical approaches to:

• establishing clear governance, responsibilities and decision-making
• coordinating priorities and representation across a region
• using local evidence to influence infrastructure planning
• building capacity and sharing expertise
• aligning energy investment with local growth and decarbonisation priorities.

An accompanying executive summary provides a concise overview for senior leaders and elected members, explaining why RESP matters, the risks of limited engagement and the organisational arrangements needed to respond effectively.

The guide was funded by West Midlands Combined Authority and draws on learning from the Planning Regional Infrastructure in a Digital Environment (PRIDE) project.

How can locally generated renewable energy deliver greater benefits for Welsh communities? In this webinar, Grant Peisley and James Dunbar explore practical approaches to local electricity supply and how they can help reduce energy costs, improve returns for generators and retain economic value locally.

Overview

The session covers three supply models: behind-the-meter systems, private wire arrangements and licence-exempt supply. Through practical examples, including Cardiff Council’s Lamby Way solar farm, it explores the opportunities and considerations for each approach, how to choose a model suited to your project, and the support available through Ynni Cymru, a Welsh Government programme delivered by Local Partnerships.