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Delivering at the local level

When deciding how to deliver services, it is easy to overlook the environmental impact and carbon footprint of service delivery. But it is important to consider sustainability and CO2 emissions, especially with energy issues and climate change rising up the agenda.

You will find links to the relevant parts of the benchmark in the toolkit.

Sustainable energy cuts across many services. A more sustainable approach to energy means:

  • environmental impact can be reduced
  • savings can be made
  • better services can be delivered.

To deliver sustainable energy at the local level, you need to look at your council's role as:

  • an estate manager
  • a service provider
  • a community leader.

Within these three roles are eight key areas where you need to act. These are outlined in the toolkit sections below.

Toolkit sections

  • Estate manager: building energy management Last updated 2 February 2009

    Cutting the carbon dioxide emissions of council buildings is an obvious way to make financial savings and show your leadership on climate change.

  • Estate manager: procurement Last updated 19 October 2009

    Between them, councils spend many billions of pounds each year on goods and services. So procurement decisions can have a massive impact on energy consumption.

  • Service provider: housing Last updated 29 January 2009

    You can reduce emissions from housing by acting on fuel poverty, health, community safety and regeneration. This can often lead to wider benefits and help secure new funding for sustainable energy work.

  • Service provider: planning Last updated 19 October 2009

    Planning decisions have a significant impact on energy consumption over the medium to long term. This page offers guidance on how to reduce your local authority area's carbon emissions through planning.

  • Service provider: transport Last updated 19 October 2009

    Emissions from transport account for around one third of all the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions, and are growing faster than in any other sector of the economy.

  • Service provider: local area agreements Last updated 2 February 2009

    Some councils have already built energy and energy-related outcomes into their LAAs. They either have explicit targets to reduce energy use or CO2 emissions, or have included energy as a cross-cutting theme in all relevant targets.

  • Community leader: community planning and LSPs Last updated 29 January 2009

    Through the local strategic partnership (LSP) your council can work with other public, private and voluntary sector agencies to increase the use of sustainable energy.

  • Community leader: consultation and raising awareness Last updated 2 February 2009

    Your council can play an important role in raising local awareness about climate change, carbon emissions and sustainable energy. You can engage with local authority staff, school students, local businesses, tenants and the general public.

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