Carbon Neutral Council Plan 2022- 2024

C1. Integrate carbon reduction and climate resilience into decision-making and strategic planning based on implementation of the council's Business Plan mission that 'we take responsibility for the environment' and 'we are on the path to carbon neutral' 

C1.1. Work with council service areas on their service plans, KPIs and CNC actions to decarbonise their service delivery [in conjunction with Carbon Literacy Project - Action C2.1; buildings - C4.1 and C4.3; and procurement - Action C7.2] 

By Oct 2022 - Agree appropriate process for climate considerations to be incorporated into service planning process. Embed process by Nov 2023. 

All service plans incorporate climate action, as per agreed process, by end 2024 

Carbon literacy of staff; Maximising potential for co-benefits through working across service areas to deliver shared outcomes ('One Council' working) 

Climate Team with Executive Office. 

C1.2. Explore using an impact assessment tool based on Doughnut Economics to ensure climate and environment impacts are systematically considered in council project planning and decision-making. (including capital bids) 

Proposal to Corporate Leadership Team Autumn 2022. Agreement on scope of tool by end 2022. 

Tool rolled out during 2023. 

Climate, air quality, public protection, waste reduction, natural environment and biodiversity, as well as socio-economic benefits maximised where possible. 

Democracy & Governance; Executive Office; with Climate Team 

C1.3. Update the council's Environment Policy Update Cabinet Report guidance to reflect the council's latest climate and environment aims. 

Spring 2023  

Develop joint working and identity of new Environment Directorate. 

Assistant Director Environment, with Environment Heads of Services 

C1.4. Develop climate KPIs and ensure that climate is embedded in the Business Plan and its associated KPIs 

Business Plan and KPIs adopted Feb 2022 

Corporate understanding of climate monitoring 

Climate Team, with Executive Office 

C2. Embed carbon reduction and climate resilience into council working culture, through staff training, values and reward frameworks 

C2.1. Develop a carbon literacy training programme that enables staff and councillors to apply carbon reduction into their roles  

Training for council leadership team March 2023 

Aiming for Carbon Literacy Bronze and Silver awards by Dec 2024 (15% of staff accredited) 

Transformational, enabling a common understanding of climate change across the council, so that staff can identify carbon reduction and resilience actions in their own service area and contribute to county-wide climate objectives 

Climate Team with Learning and Development 

C2.2. Identify further mechanisms for encouraging teams and individual staff to take responsibility for climate objectives, e.g. through WOW staff awards for being green in their role.   'Eco Champ' badge already available for impressions. 

Assess options by Spring 2023. 

New WOW staff award category created 2023 

Transformational, towards embedding climate into working culture 

HR & OD 

C3. Develop a new Carbon Neutral Council Plan, published in 2022 

C3.1. Develop and Implement Carbon Neutral Council Plan - informed by Anthesis study, Climate Strategy consultation responses, Climate Emergency Task Group recommendations & discussions with colleagues 

Carbon Neutral Council Plan published online by October 2022 

Shows leadership by the council 

Climate Team, in conjunction with all service areas 

C3.2.  Continue to develop and invest capital in climate change projects that provide a positive financial, environmental and social return to the council.  Continue to apply for relevant funding, e.g. Salix Low Carbon Skills Fund to allow feasibility studies and development of plans for decarbonisation of council property and fleet. 

Ongoing 

Leadership and enables delivery. 

Multiple service areas. 

C3.3. Continue to procure a green tariff for the council's electricity and ensure that green electricity is a fundamental part of any reviews. 

Ongoing 

Leadership. 

FM Energy Team. 

C4. Property / Assets: continue to decarbonise heating, improve energy efficiency and expand renewable electricity generation. 

C4.1. Develop Property Carbon Reduction Plan 

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the council's own Carbon Reduction budget continue to fund investments in equipment and improvements to buildings resulting in carbon savings.  

Develop further forward plans for property decarbonisation, in conjunction with senior management and key service areas, with a focus on heat decarbonisation and energy demand reduction (also including water saving measures, and behaviour change).  

Produce Carbon Reduction Plan for Property - by Summer 2023 

Elimination of oil fuels in council buildings, and no new fossil fuels installed by 2024. 

Cost savings. 

Energy Team and Climate Team to lead; with  FM, Leisure & Libraries, Campus, Depots, Hubs, Car parks, Property, Schools 

C4.2. Focus on leisure centres, as a major area of energy use: 

Leisure centre managers and Energy Team to work on technical and practical ideas for energy efficiency actions specifically for leisure centres to include behaviour change, energy efficiency improvements, renewable heating upgrades, etc 

Quarterly update on leisure centre emissions 

Leadership; Public awareness opportunity; cost savings 

Leisure Centre Managers with Energy Team 

C4.3. Buildings policy 

Work across council service areas to define net zero policy and develop criteria for new council buildings, retrofit & maintenance. Starting with review of Trowbridge Leisure Provision as a test bed 

Policy & protocol drafted by Summer 2023   

Fully adopted by Autumn 2023 

Cost savings; comfort. Leadership. 

FM Energy Team and Climate Team to lead; with all relevant services 

C5. Fleet: strategy review, move to electric vehicles and identify alternative solutions for larger vehicles. Emissions from council vehicles will be reduced by 25% by December 2022, and fully carbon neutral by 2030 

C5.1. Adopt Fleet Strategy, to include key carbon / climate objectives: 

• Transition operational fleet to EV and alternative low carbon fuels [see C5.3] 

• Decrease mileage and fuel consumption through telematics and feedback in vehicles 

• Pool cars to be reduced in size and increasingly EV 

• Decrease mileage and emissions from staff business travel in own vehicles (grey fleet) 

• Explore offsetting, before full carbon neutrality is achievable 

25% of Council-operated Fleet will be replaced by low emission vehicles by December 2022, and fully carbon neutral by 2030 

Staff awareness and culture change. Leading by example. 

Improved air quality. 

Highway Operations; Waste Services; Fleet Services 

C5.2. EV charging infrastructure. 

EV charge points on Wiltshire Council property: Implement EV Charging Infrastructure Plan 2021-2024 (see actions 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) & develop Depot Strategy to incorporate needs for EV charging, as well as exploring scope for energy generation.  

All new buildings, depots and areas will meet the move to more modern fuel provision and will be designed to facilitate fleet provision using non-fossil fuel transport. (Fleet Strategy) 

Public charge points will be replaced in 2022/ 23.   

Workplace charge points will be replaced as detail by the emerging Depot Strategy  

Improved air quality. 

Fleet services; Waste; Energy Team; 

C5.3. Investigate alternative fuels such as biofuels, hydrogen and other fuel technologies for our fleet and implement where proven to deliver the best outcomes for the Council. 

-Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) trial 

-Electric Refuse Collection Vehicle trials 

Aim to have at least one electric RCV, by 2026/ 27  

Improved air quality. Leadership 

Highway Operations 

C6 Continue to monitor and reduce direct emissions, while working to understand and reduce scope 3 emissions (supply chain and outsourced operations) for wider impact. 

C6.1. Continue 6 monthly progress reports to cabinet  

Ongoing 

All 

Climate Team 

C6.2. Continue to report Greenhouse Gas Emissions annually.  

Expand reporting of scope 3 emissions of our own operations, and through engagement with suppliers.  This is a first necessary step to reducing our scope 3 emissions [see C7] 

Annual GHG reporting. 

GHG reporting to include more Scope 3 emissions by July 2023 (a sample of schools and suppliers) 

All 

Climate Team, with Energy, Waste, Fleet, Facilities Management 

C6.3. Explore signing up to Carbon Disclosure Project - CDP. 

Prepare to submit by July 2023 if decision is to proceed 

Leadership 

Climate Team 

School emissions Explore the potential to decrease carbon emissions from schools. [See Climate Strategy Delivery Plan for Wiltshire - September 2022 B9.5]  

C6.4. Develop our monitoring framework and explore and trial available tools to track progress on the council's decarbonisation measures and the resulting impacts. 

Jan 2023  

Awareness of emissions, and impacts of measures 

Climate Team 

C6.5. Develop an 'offsetting strategy' for the council's scope 1 & 2 emissions 

Produce strategy by end of 2023 

Leadership; nature-based solutions help improve biodiversity, health and wellbeing etc 

Climate Team; Estates & property 

Staff commuting  [See Climate Strategy Delivery Plan for Wiltshire - September 2022 T9.1] 

C7. Work with the council's supply community, to help achieve economic, environmental and social benefits for the public good and the people of Wiltshire (including reduced carbon emissions) when the council buys goods or services 

C7.1. Incorporate climate considerations into the procurement process: 

Incorporate questions on carbon and climate into the tendering process for key new contracts as they arise, to include carbon assessment, reporting and carbon neutral vehicles, as appropriate. 

Ongoing, to align with tender timetables. 

Service areas that procure goods or services; Strategic Procurement; Climate Team 

C7.2. Adopt a Socially Responsible Procurement Policy, to include objectives on climate and carbon reduction. 

Policy in place by Winter 2022/23 

All key procurements above a certain threshold incorporate climate requirements in tender and contract. 

Strategic Procurement; Climate Team 

Scope 3 emissions from major suppliers [See Climate Strategy Delivery Plan - Introduction to the Climate Strategy Delivery Plan G2.1] 

C8  Ensure council property and infrastructure is resilient to the impacts of climate change 

See action Natural Environment NE5.2 to update the Wiltshire Council Climate Adaptation Plan. This includes putting measures in place for all council property and infrastructure. 

C9  Ensure all investment considers our climate objectives 

C9.1. Explore how all investment can consider our climate objectives. (See action C1.2) 

Develop an approach to embedding climate considerations in investment decisions. Winter 2023-24. 

Future-proofing; Social Value 

Finance; Estates and Development; Climate Team 

C10 Support the Wiltshire Pension Fund Committee's responsible investment policy, Climate Strategy and action plan 

C10.1. Incorporate responsible investment issues across the whole investment process.  

Continue to monitor the fund's exposure to fossil fuel companies and renewable energy, against 2020 baseline, and continue work to expand metrics on carbon assessment. 

Engage with pension fund managers and use Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) as part of annual reporting. 

Reduced carbon footprint of pension funds investments over time as reported in line with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure. 

Awareness and engagement with pension fund members. Leadership. 

Wiltshire Pension Fund 

C11 Lobby government for increased funding and powers through groups such as UK100/ Countryside Climate Network, ADEPT and the County Councils Network 

C11.1. Continue to attend and be involved at the core of networks lobbying government.  

Quarterly Countryside Climate Network meetings 

Head of Climate Programme; Environment Assistant Director; Leader of the Council and Climate Portfolio holder 

C12 Work with public sector partners, voluntary and community sector and over 20,000 businesses across Wiltshire to share knowledge and delivery 

C12.1.  continue convening and attending working groups to share knowledge and best practice, and explore joint projects: 

• Public Sector Climate Working Group (under Wiltshire Public Service Board) 

• B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care System 

Quarterly meetings 

Climate Team, with  NHS, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Police, MOD, Wiltshire College 

C12.2. Share knowledge through local authority networks and South West Net Zero Hub. Explore joint procurement e.g. for zero carbon fleet vehicles 

Monthly SW Climate officers network meetings; Quarterly LGA Climate Action group meeting 

Climate Team and others as relevant