How and why we are reducing carbon
Why managing our carbon is important
Climate change must be tackled
Reducing the impact of climate change is the most pressing reason to manage our energy consumption levels at Hampshire County Council.
Being energy efficient to save money
The energy we use, such as heat, light and electricity, is the main source of our carbon emissions. Being energy efficient means minimising the amount of energy that gets used when we are delivering our services. This not only reduces our carbon footprint – it saves money too.
Hampshire County Council is already performing well in terms of energy efficiency, but there are still improvements we can make.
How we are cutting our carbon footprint
What was the carbon footprint at the start of the plan?
Carbon emissions recorded in the financial year 2008/09 are the baseline. That year the County Council's CO2 emissions totalled 131,800 tonnes.
What is the County Council doing?
Hampshire County Council has committed to the Emissions Reduction Pledge 2020 to achieve 30% reduction by 2020. The County Council has set its own targets to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2025, leading to carbon neutrality by 2050.
The County Council has a number of projects underway to reduce its carbon emissions including;
- Improving the energy efficiency of buildings: Big savings have been made by reducing the number of County Council buildings used by our staff and making the remaining buildings more efficient. These reductions are ongoing as the County Council continually improves efficiency.
- Improving street lighting: A street lighting Private Finance Initiative has begun to replace all the street lighting in Hampshire.
- Monitoring energy use carefully: This helps the County Council target improvements where they will be most valuable. Smart Meters have been installed to accurately measure and record energy usage in our buildings.
- Changing people's behaviour: Energy savings are possible just by making small changes to the way we use energy. Staff are given tips and tactics to help them reduce energy consumption in the work place.