3.0 Summary
3.1 Performance against the Council’s Annual Carbon Reduction Plan 2011/12
3.1.1 The Council has achieved CO2 savings of 5% and 6% respectively in the two previous financial years (2010/12 and 2011/12), totalling an 11% CO2 reduction on the Council’s 2009/10 CO2 emissions levels.
3.1.2 The Council’s total reduction in direct energy usage last year was over 6%; this represents a saving of £516,000.
3.1.3 The Buildings & Energy programme achieved actual savings of 1,010 tonnes of Co2 and £116k in energy costs in 2011/12; key planning and development work for future years was also undertaken.
3.1.4 Planned solar PV installations could not be taken forward into delivery, due to the government’s premature review of the Feed-In Tariff rate in 2011/12 and resulting impact on business cases and delivery deadlines.
3.1.5 The Council has evaluated over 1000 suppliers on their environmental sustainability impacts as part of the procurement process.
3.1.6 In 2011/12, the Council was the first local authority to pilot the NUS Green Impact programme engaging staff teams in environmental behaviour change. 16 teams completed 548 actions, with 295 members of staff taking part as members of Green Impact Teams.
3.1.7 The biannual MCC staff travel survey showed a significant continuing modal shift from car use to walking, cycling and public transport use, with cycling growing particularly strongly to 10% of staff commuting by bicycle (from about 6%).
3.1.8 In year 2011-12, the Council achieved a 34% recycling rate for domestic waste – an increase of around 9% on the previous year.
3.1.9 A low-carbon Appendix was added into each Business Plan in 2011, outlining the year’s actions each service would aim to take throughout the year
3.2 Headlines for the Council’s Annual Carbon Reduction Plan 2012/13
3.2.1 A further carbon reduction target of 10% on the end of year figure from 2011/12. If achieved this will represent significant progress towards the target of a 20% reduction by April 2014.
3.2.2 The implementation of the Town Hall Complex Transformation Programme will continue throughout 2012/13, with staff then relocating to the refurbished, energy efficient Town Hall Extension next year.
3.2.3 The Council will be a pilot organisation for the Carbon Literacy project, with plans for members and senior officers to be trained by December 2012.
3.2.4 The new ICT Data Centre at Sharp will be delivered during 2012. This facility, being purpose built, is more energy efficient and in the build up to the move, 60% of the server estate has been virtualised (over 200). Each virtualised server represents approximately 75% reduction in energy used.
manchester climate monthly 