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Philip Sellwood Chief Executive. Energy Saving Trust Working with local authorities. What’s climate change got to do with us?. The UK's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions stand at a staggering 536 million tonnes per year.
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Philip SellwoodChief Executive Energy Saving Trust Working with local authorities
What’s climate change got to do with us? The UK's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions stand at a staggering 536 million tonnes per year. The average home creates more CO2 annually than the average car and between them road transport and our homes are responsible for over half of the UK’s overall CO2 emissions.
We believe local authorities are important What EST & local authorities have jointly achieved by working together in 2004-05: • Ran more than 200 strategic partnership events. • Ensured the inclusion of energy efficiency in 80 local strategies and plans. • Supported 125 local projects, and • Levered in £13 million of funding.
Joint achievements 2004-05, continued • We’ve had 3500 enquiries from you & your partners to our Practical help advice service. • 20+ local energy projects have been set up with local authorities through the Innovation programme. • Approx. 8 more authorities have signed up to the Nottingham declaration on climate change. • More than 60% of authorities now have a sustainable energy strategy – a massive increase from 2002-03.
The challenge But: • HECA progress is slow: reported at 12% (Mar 03) • Average SAP of LA own housing is SAP 60 (Mar 04) • UK is not on track to meet the 20% carbon reduction target by 2010 in the manifesto and the EWP. • Community heating, zero carbon buildings, CHP and renewables are still the exception in most authorities We all need to rise to the challenge, but action will have to be delivered at the local level.
What can we do to help? • EST programmes: Practical help, Local Support / EEACs, Innovation, Community Energy, Transport Energy • The Sustainable Energy Network (SEN) • Communication campaigns: to consumers, the public sector • Agenda For Change • Influencing Government
E.g. Practical help - advice • A full service of advice and information • Available to all local authorities across the UK • Telephone/web/email enquiry service • Major web resource, updated weekly • Fortnightly email update linking to new items on the website, to >1600 contacts • Quarterly newsletter • Briefing notes and case studies • Presentations and workshops
Sustainable Energy Network • The SEN is a new initiative to create a one stop shop for consumers covering both the home and transport. • £10 million funding from Defra over 3 years to support the SEN. • SEN work plans for 2005/06 activities developed for all pilot areas. • The pilot will inform the development and delivery of EST’s programmes and services.
Agenda For Change • Calling on the Government elected to introduce effective new climate change targets and measures - to improve home energy efficiency and car fuel efficiency by at least 2% annually. • Government should use tax system to encourage environmentally efficient behavior. • Support for organisations that deliver change at a grass roots level, such as local authorities. • Develop EU legislation and standards to outlaw climate damaging products during the UK’s presidency. • Government needs to help businesses ‘green’ consumers.
EST’s future activity with councils • The UK needs to see a step change in sustainable energy activity. • What should EST do to increase the impact of our work with local authorities? • Strategic review of our local authority programmes • Increase activity to target and motivate senior managers and councillors • Improve links with other energy efficiency activities e.g. SEN, consumer marketing etc. • We would welcome your input.
The way forward • Much has been achieved but there is much still to do. • Action on sustainable energy has to happen at the local level – so there is a continued focus on local authorities. • EST can help but local authorities must lead change – i.e. political leadership backed up by investment and action.
Philip SellwoodChief Executive Energy Saving Trust Working with local authorities