More than 100 local authorities in danger of missing legal climate targets, report warns

Dozens of English local authorities are in danger of missing their legal climate targets without strengthening plans to decarbonise buildings and transport, a recent news report has been able to suggest.

The environmental law firm ClientEarth has recently sent letters to councillors and planning officers at dozens of English local authorities which are currently revising their local plans, urging them to align these plans with the Government’s new net-zero target for 2050.

The letter urges councils to reply within eight weeks, explaining how they will set “evidence-based” carbon reduction targets in line with total decarbonisation by mid-century

It additionally asks councils to detail how they will incorporate climate considerations into all local planning policy as a “core objective”, and to report on their sustainability progress at least once a year.

ClientEarth’s climate lawyer Sam Hunter Jones said that specific areas of action for local authorities should be transport and the built environment. Both of these sectors are largely linked to local planning – and both have come under repeated fire from the CCC over slow progress on decarbonisation to date.

Lagging progress in both spheres has repeatedly been linked to poor national policy support and high upfront technology costs, compounded by a lack of funding and expertise at a council level.

Building Energy Managements can help deliver extensive energy use monitoring and saving features for local authorities

Building Energy Management Systems are capable of delivering extensive monitoring and control options, compared to basic controls. They typically employ data from a variety of sources (boiler flow and return sensors, internal and external temperature sensors, occupancy sensors, humidity sensors, etc.), and enable the perfect optimization of a building’s boiler-based central heating system.

HeatingSave is also approved to work and save fuel within the Energy Technology List, which is managed by the Carbon Trust on behalf of the Government. It is also approved by the Department of Energy & Climate Change and the Energy Savings Trust and was specified by the Building Research Establishment for the energy efficient homes retro-fit program, called The Greenhouse Project.

Last, but certainly not least, it’s important to mention that HeatingSave is a component part of the Government’s Green Deal program.

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