Audit on carbon emissions in West Norfolk to inform authority's strategy on climate change
West Norfolk Council is looking to complete an audit on its own carbon dioxide emissions, as well as those produced by the district as a whole, a meeting has heard this week.
It came as part of the authority’s update on its current stance on climate change, which members of the environment and community panel heard on Tuesday.
The panel received a presentation from the council’s environmental health manager Dave Robson the audit will be able to inform potential policies and strategies in the future.
It is hoped that the audit, which is expected to take four months to do, will be completed by early 2020.
Of the county’s districts, West Norfolk was found to have the highest CO2 emissions in 2017, according to the most recent data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy.
Mr Robson said there are a number of characteristics of the borough which contribute to this figure, which is reflective of West Norfolk’s footprint as a whole and not of the authority itself.
West Norfolk is in the top five largest districts in England by land mass, he said, and a high number of vehicles travel through the borough on A and B roads.
The borough also has a large major industry base, as well as “large areas” where residents are reliant on oil or solid fuel for spacial heating.
The council has implemented a number of CO2-reducing schemes though, including solar panels on King’s Court – where the authority’s offices are based – and Lynnsport, as well as the use of energy-efficient technology and lighting, and a Green Travel Plan which encourages staff to cycle to work.
The authority is also creating a carbon footprint working group, which will assist with the audit, and will work alongside the existing single use plastics working group and the recycling working group.
Mr Robson said the panel will be updated on the council’s strategy, which will also take into consideration stakeholder activities such as work being undertaken by the New Anglia LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership), in due course.