In February 2023, the Executive approved the updated Rochford Sustainability Strategy 2022-2030 which set out the high-level approach as to how the Council will achieve its declared aims of achieving carbon neutrality within its own activity by 2030, and district wide by 2040.
Further to that report, at a meeting on 21 June 2023, Full Council approved the declaration of a Climate Emergency.
Summary of Climate and Sustainability Work 2023/24
The list provides a summary of achievement in the 2023/24 administrative year:
- Council was successful in applying for a £424,993 grant from Sport England to install solar panels and pool covers at the Clements Hall Leisure Centre. The measures will save the council around £107k annually and cut carbon emissions at the site by 128tCO2e around 30%.
- 54 Park Homes retrofit insulation projects complete equivalent to £652,666 from the Government’s Home Upgade Grant
- Approval granted at Planning Committe in November 2023 for the Grasslands Solar Farm - the site will generate 49.9MW of electricity enough to power 16,5000 homes annual energy consumption
- The solar together bulk buying PV scheme for residents has resulted in:
- 367 registrations,
- 42 installations of solar panels equivalent to 187kW resulting in 37.8tCO2e savings annual
- 38 battery installs equivalent to 318kWh of storage
- 4 EV charge points
- The Financial Appraisal for RDC Net Zero Carbon 2030 Target was approved at the March 2024 Climate Emergency Committee The appraisal outlined a costed road map to net zero carbon achieving a 92% reduction in emissions.(this has been updated since)
- Supporting the South Essex Local Authorities (on the Climate & Environment Workstream and Housing. A workstream is in development with various stakeholders including Octopus Energy to explore a social housing retrofit programme: ‘Six Streets’ will look at a street in each of the South Essex authorities to improve the energy efficiency of social housing stock using innovative finance approaches.
- Supporting the Climate Action Anchors Working Group (CAAWG), a pan county cross public sector group looking at climate action. Currently looking at standardising carbon reporting for public and private sector organisations in Essex.
- A draft Sustainable Procurement Policy for the Council has been written and will be presented for consideration later this year.
- An Environment and Climate Scoring matrix has been developed to support decision making around energy, waste and transport impacts
- A draft EV Charge Point strategy has been written and due to go to Committee for consideration in late 2024
- An annual update on hydrogen potential and current state of deployment
Carbon Footprint
The Council are directly responsible for carbon emissions from corporate, and managed services (leisure centres) and waste collection. The baseline year for determining progress is taken as a pre covid business as usual year. Carbon emissions have fallen from the baseline year of 1,718tCO2e to 1,169tCO2e a reduction of 32%.
![The graph shows this has mainly been driven by energy efficiency improvements of managed services (as well as a renewable energy tariff for the leisure centres) that includes closing down of the Freight building.](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-08/RDCCarbongraph.png?itok=Ochk2_69)
Pathway to Net Zero Carbon Emissions 2030
![The graph sets out the proposed route to achieving carbon set zero for the Council. With the leisure centres currently on a 100% renewable energy tariff for electricity 2030 carbon emissions would be at 58.8tCO2e equivalent to a 97% reduction. Further projects will be identified.](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-08/RDCnetzero.png?itok=AnSBHjBR)
The main opportunities to achieve net zero emissions by 2030 are investing in our leisure centres through solar PV and pool covers as well as switching our waste vehicle fleet to plant-based biodiesel.