Energy leadership for local authorities

Local authorities have a crucial role in sustainable energy planning and management.

How can local authorities lead on energy?

Initiate action and use commercial leverage to support it. Local authorities have the planning responsibility to deliver the new energy systems required. For example, they are the only organisations who can facilitate action at the appropriate local scale and provide both the customers and the fuel (waste) to enable change. Leaders have the responsibility to steer change to the benefit of local communities.

Establish a city-level climate change strategy or action plan with an integrated, commercially achievable approach to tackling climate change.

Register for the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Whilst using national indicators as a catalyst for action, instigate a detailed local plan and monitor its effectiveness. Indicators that that relate directly to energy use and sourcing include NI 185, NI 186, NI 187, NI 188 and NI 194. The national policy timetable driving sustainable development is immediate and means major action is required by city leaderships in order to remain compliant, and significantly more to be seen as a city known for its exemplary performance.

Set energy and carbon targets and prioritise to encourage the development of renewable energy generation and decentralised energy distribution networks.

Use local strategic partnerships (LSPs) to direct actions on sustainable energy, including monitoring local energy consumption and setting targets for improvement. Consider the development of a local carbon trajectory to 2050 to ensure the local area’s strategy looks beyond the ‘low hanging fruit’ of the next decade.

Acknowledge direct responsibility and control over city-wide carbon emissions to ensure cities are fit for the future and the value of change is returned to the community, using initiatives such as the Low Carbon Cities programme to support action.

Work with public and private partners to ensure that new zero carbon development is possible and the existing stock is provided with affordable low/zero carbon energy.

Work with major energy suppliers to ensure that efforts to reduce the carbon emissions of the existing stock are complementary, rather than doubling-up efforts on the same measures.

Establish community energy partnerships, Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) or Multi Utility Services Companies (MUSCOs) to support and control the delivery of energy objectives on the ground and ensure the benefits are felt by all.