An innovative climate at Woking

16 December 2002

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While world leaders continue to debate environmental issues on a global scale, councillors in Woking have been tackling global warming locally.

Woking Borough Council is one of the first boroughs in the country to sign up to a Climate Change Strategy.

Concerned about the effect of CO2 emissions, the Council has been taking practical steps to introduce energy efficient 'Carbon Neutral' environmentally friendly schemes in its buildings and housing stock and is now turning to examine long term 'Zero Waste' refuse disposal methods that will be sustainable in the future.

The Borough intends to build on its energy services success and develop a strategy which takes account of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's recommendations that more needs to be done to reduce CO2 emissions by some 60% by 2050.

The strategy is one of the most comprehensive yet to be developed in the UK and covers the whole spectrum of the Borough's energy uses: power, heat, water, waste disposal and transport for local authority, home and business users and will help the Council meet its Home Energy Conservation Act obligations.

Announcing this forward thinking strategy, Leader of the Executive Cllr Jim Armitage explained: "We are really only just beginning with this. Woking has always been at the forefront of environmental matters. We have already achieved an 8% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to 1990 levels.

The Council will be continually developing effective measures to ensure a 'Carbon Neutral' approach for the Borough in the future and is now looking at piloting some ground-breaking environmentally friendly 'Zero Waste' refuse disposal schemes.

Doing nothing about climate change is not an option. Local authorities have a key role to play in setting ambitious but achievable targets. Woking has a green track record to be proud of but we are not content to rest on our laurels."

For further information, contact Woking Borough Council's Executive Director, Ray Morgan on 01483 743333 or Marketing Communications Manager, Alison Burt, on 01483 743027.

Notes

Some of Woking's Green achievements to date

  • Woking is believed to be the only UK authority to have so far adopted a comprehensive climate change strategy on a scale that is likely to meet The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution targets of 60% reductions of CO2 equivalent emissions by 2050 and 80% by 2100.
  • The UK's first sustainable energy 200kWh fuel cell. Fuel cells were originally used in the USA space programme in the 1960's and provided the vital heat, electricity and drinking water to keep space missions going.
  • The first heating and cooling sustainable energy station in the country.
  • In 2000 granted the Queen's Award for Enterprise in recognition of its ground-breaking approach to sustainability; Woking is the only local authority honoured with Britain's most coveted commercial award.
  • Through its Environmental Charter and Energy Efficiency Policies the Council has introduced a number of innovative measures to protect the environment and reduce pollution to make Woking a cleaner, greener Borough. It has adopted numerous energy and water saving techniques for Council-owned buildings and public places; the revenue saved as a result of these award winning schemes is reinvested in other environmental measures to further improve energy efficiency.
  • Since its energy efficiency and environmental policies were implemented in 1990/91 (the base year), the Council achieved its 5 year target to reduce energy consumption by 20% in 4 years. Following this success it implemented a new target to reduce energy consumption by a further 20% in 6 years, i.e. a total of a 40% target reduction between 1991/92 and 2000/2001.

As part of its climate change strategy Woking Borough Council is committed to:

  • Introducing a local award scheme to recognise any developments that incorporate features which contribute to the long-term aim of sustainable development, including reducing C02 equivalent emissions and mitigating against climate change.
  • Adopting a target of purchasing 100% of the Council's electrical and thermal energy requirements from sustainable sources and 20% from renewable sources by 2010/11.
  • Pursuing, in the management of Council land, the use of irrigation systems that integrate the re-use of storm water
  • Adopting best practice in the management of the Council's own land and buildings and working with the Environment Agency, Thames Water and developers to create wetlands in or near existing floodplains with a view to enhancing capacity of the floodplain.
  • Exploring means of creating environmentally friendly energy from waste and encouraging the avoidance of landfill.
  • Maintaining the Home Energy Conservation Act target of 30% improvement in energy efficiency by 31 March 2006.
  • Creating a schools awareness programme to increase knowledge about the issues at stake.
  • Use of sustainable combined heat and power sources of energy in the Borough – discouraging the production of CO2 type gases.
  • Increased use of photovoltaic and renewable energy
  • Incorporating, at the next review of the Local Plan, planning policies which will ensure that new development in the Borough reduces CO2 equivalent emissions of greenhouse gases (i.e. 80% less than its impact would have been in 1990).