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Climate Emergency

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In February 2023, the Executive approved the updated Environment Strategy 2023 -2026 which set out the high level approach as to how Brentwood Borough Council will achieve its declared aims of achieving carbon neutrality within its own activity by 2030, and district wide by 2040.

Further to that report, at a meeting on 21 June 2023, Full Council approved the declaration of a Climate Emergency. In that meeting the net zero carbon emissions target for Council emissions was brought forward to 2030.

Summary of Climate and Sustainability Work - 2023/24

The list provides a summary of achievement in the 2023/24 administrative year:-

  • Switched to Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) a plant based waste fuel for all diesel vehicles in the waste fleet – expected annual savings of 737tCO2e per annum around 35% of Council baseline carbon emissions. Switch started May 2024;
  • Awarded a £240,000 grant from Sport England to install solar panels at the Brentwood Centre;
  • £800,000 investment in the Brentwood Centre building management system;
  • The 25MW Crouch Solar Farm project is near completion and expected to generate 24,090MWh electricity and supply enough clean energy to power 8,307 households. The project is expected to offset 5,115t of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) a year.
  • Supporting the South Essex Local Authorities (on the Climate & Environment Workstream and Housing. A workstream is in development with various stakeholders including Octopus Energy to explore a social housing retrofit programme: ‘Six Streets’ will look at a street in each of the South Essex authorities to improve the energy efficiency of social housing stock using innovative finance approaches.
  • Supporting the Climate Action Anchors Working Group (CAAWG), a pan county cross public sector group looking at climate action. Currently looking at standardising carbon reporting for public and private sector organisations in Essex.
  • The solar together bulk buying PV scheme for residents has resulted in:
    • 398 registrations,
    • 27 installations of solar panels equivalent to 126kW resulting in 23.4tCO2e savings annual
    • 25 battery installs equivalent to 131kWh of storage
    • 1 EV charge point
  • The governments Home Upgrade Grant has competed four installations at a capital spend of £35k measures include heating controls, flat roof and external wall insulation.
  • The Financial Appraisal for BBC Net Zero Carbon 2030 Target was approved at December Clean & Green Committee. The appraisal outlined a costed road map to net zero carbon achieving a 91% reduction in emissions.
  • A draft Sustainable Procurement Policy for the Council has been written, and will be presented for consideration later this year.
  • An Environment and Climate Scoring matrix has been developed to support decision making around energy, waste and transport impacts
  • A draft EV Charge Point strategy has been written and due to go to Committee for consideration in late 2024

Progress against baseline carbon emissions

The graph shows that against the 2018/19 baseline year (pre-covid) carbon emissions from corporate, managed and social housing have falled from 1,594tCO2 to 1,069tCO2e a reduction of 33%
The graph above shows that against the 2018/19 baseline year (pre-covid) carbon emissions from corporate, managed and social housing have fallen from 1,594tCO2 to 1,069tCO2e a reduction of 33%

Net Zero Carbon Pathway

The graph shows The council has identified projects to achieve a 91% reduction of its carbon footprint by 2030 and continues to seek further opportunities to achieve net zero by 2030. These measures include the switch from mineral fossil-based diesel to plant-based biodiesel (HVO) for its waste fleet vehicles and investing in renewable energy and building management systems at the Brentwood Centre.
The council has identified projects to achieve a 91% reduction of its carbon footprint by 2030 and continues to seek further opportunities to achieve net zero by 2030. These measures include the switch from mineral fossil-based diesel to plant-based biodiesel (HVO) for its waste fleet vehicles and investing in renewable energy and building management systems at the Brentwood Centre.

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