How we are creating a greener District

Edition: Summer 2020

In June 2019 the Council committed to reducing its carbon footprint and started to work towards the national target of becoming carbon neutral as an organisation.

A car park with dedicated spaces for electric vehicles

The good news is that we are making great progress to achieving these goals and taking better care of our environment, whilst reducing costs.

We all have a part to play in tackling climate change. Whether you are increasing your recycling, switching off more lights or repairing your clothes or tools, it all helps towards the bigger picture.

We have now completed a comprehensive carbon audit which was undertaken with the Carbon Trust; nationally recognised experts in reducing carbon and saving energy for non-profit making organisations.

The key finding of the audit was that the total carbon footprint for the Council in 2018/19 was 18,035 tCO2e.

The majority of this carbon footprint comes from:

The goods and services that the Council buys from external suppliers
Heating and lighting the buildings that we own but lease out to other organisations
The fuel that is used to heat and power our buildings and run our vehicles.

What have we done so far?

We have already:

Improved the energy efficiency of our buildings – we have recently upgraded Horsham Museum & Art Gallery with a more energy efficient power supply and a digitally controlled heating system
Built new Council developments to high environmental standards – our new Piries Place Car Park has won awards for its energy efficiency and includes electric vehicle charge points as well as a green wall
Introduced some electric vehicles into our fleet and a more energy efficient fleet of waste collection vehicles
Switched to a renewable energy tariff
Increased biodiversity in our parks and green spaces; such as enhancing areas of heathland which is great at absorbing carbon.

What next?

The Council has a solid track record in caring for the environment and reducing emissions. Now that we know where our carbon is being generated, we want to set a realistic target for when the Council will become carbon neutral. This will be backed by a measurable and costed action plan to achieve this. This is likely to include:

Increasing the number of electric vehicles in our fleet
Changing our buildings’ heating supplies to all electric, as the national electricity grid is increasingly being powered by renewable and nuclear energy
Improving the energy efficiency of our buildings, such as changing to LED lighting and increasing insulation
Installing renewable technology.

If you have any queries about our carbon emissions work please email helen.peacock@horsham.gov.uk.