Annual Report April 2010 - March 2011

Background

The Department of Energy and Climate Change have required Local Authorities to report on greenhouse emissions as a result of their operations.

The aim is to measure the progress of local authorities annually in reducing emissions from providing Council services, including those emissions generated by contractors and others providing services on their behalf.

This report outlines greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the Council as a result of its own operations and service delivery for the past three years.

Base year

The base line year used for carbon reporting is the financial year 2008/9.  Emissions will be monitored against the base year and published annually.

Approach for GHG emissions calculation

We have followed the Government’s Guidance on how to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions.  It recommends identifying and categorising emissions released into three groups or scopes:

• Scope 1 (Direct Emissions): activities owned or controlled by the Council that release emissions straight into the atmosphere; eg, emissions from combustion in owned controlled boilers or vehicles
  
• Scope 2 (Energy Indirect): emissions released into the atmosphere associated with our consumption of purchased electricity, heat, steam and cooling.  These are indirect emissions that are a consequence of our organisation’s activities but which occur at sources we don’t own or control
  
• Scope 3 (Other Indirect): emissions that are a consequence of our actions, which occur at sources which we don’t own or control and which are not classed as scope 2 emissions; eg, emissions from business travel (not owned or controlled), waste disposal or purchase of materials.  This scope is discretionary.

For more information, please visit The Department of Energy & Climate Change website.
 
These are the different activities we have included in each scope:

Please view our Greenhouse Gas Emissions Comparison Table (pdf - 25kb)

Please view our Breakdown Results of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report 2010/11 (pdf - 192kb)

Supporting explanations

1. The above GHG report covers emissions from Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s estate and operations, including those buildings owned by the Council but managed by others (Rainbow Leisure Centre).

2. Change in emissions: our emissions have fallen since 2008-2009 by c.16%.  They are mostly due to energy reduction initiatives implemented in Council buildings for the past three years.

Some examples of actions implemented:

• Energy efficient lighting across buildings including multi-storey car parks (Ashley and Hook Road)
• Lighting control systems; eg, movement and lighting sensors, computerised lighting timers for outdoor facilities (ie, Court Recreation Ground)
• Insulation improved
• New boilers and heating control systems, for example in Ewell Court House and the Playhouse
• Voltage and power optimisation
• Create internal energy management teams to drive our emissions down.

For more information, please call us on 01372 732000 or email contactus@epsom-ewell.gov.uk