Carbon reduction schemes

We have set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions across our own operations by 25% by 2013. To ensure success a corporate carbon reduction programme was implemented in 2008. The programme combines energy efficient and renewable energy technologies, with staff awareness campaigns, to reduce carbon emissions across our estate, streetlighting and transport fleet. To date the programme has just under 2000 tonnes of carbon.

We are also part of the national 10:10 campaign. Participation in the campaign requires organisations to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 10 per cent in 2010.  For the council this means reducing carbon emissions from its own operations (excluding schools and outsourced services) by approximately 1,200 tonnes between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011. A number of projects have been identified which will help the council achieve its target. They include:

• Using renewable energy to power bollards/signs;
• Installing technology to help control energy useage;
• Increasing staff awareness of carbon saving practices;
• Heating a swimming pool with biomass fuel instead of gas; and,
• Replacing ageing streetlighting units with more efficient examples.

For more information visit the 10:10 campaign website.

Our Greenhouse Gas emissions

City of York Council operates a diverse array of public services including Schools, Elderly Peoples Homes, Leisure Centers, Neighborhood Services and Street Lighting. All of these services consume energy, for example, energy for heating buildings or powering equipment. To produce energy the UK is reliant on burning fossils fuels like gas and coal, which also produce, as a byproduct, greenhouse gases (which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides). There is now an overwhelming body of scientific evidence to link human activity such as burning fossil fuels with an increase in global atmospheric temperatures and climate change. For more details visit the climate change sections of the sustainability pages

To ensure the council plays its part in tackling climate change, and reducing the amount of GHGs emitted through our services, we are committed to reducing our overall carbon footprint (the total amount of carbon emitted across the council). From 2011 we will report on our greenhouse gas emissions. We will also report our emissions to the Government’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA.) .

The report includes the significant greenhouse gasses carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These are expressed as CO2 equivalents (a measures for describing how much global warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas may cause. This is expressed using the equivalent amount or concentration of carbon dioxide (CO ₂) as the reference).

In 2010 – 2011 the council emitted across its services just over 34,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). The full report is available from this page in the documents to download section.

We are continually striving to attain the best possible accuracy in measuring our GHG emissions and we are committed to reducing our overall carbon emissions. This is also as part of the city’s commitment to tackling climate change.

For additional information on other work currently being carried out across the city to address climate change visit the main sustainability pages