Introduction
The
Climate Change Act 2008 set legally binding targets for the UK
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 34% by 2020 and at
least 80% by 2050 (both targets against a 1990 baseline).
The government’s
Low Carbon Transition Plan, published in July 2009, sets out
how the UK will meet the 34 percent cut in emissions on 1990 levels
by 2020. In this document, it states that "Every part of Government
will need to help drive the transition that is needed to live
within the UK’s carbon budgets. For the first time, each
major government department will have its own carbon budget
representing its share of responsibility … From April 2010,
it will also include emissions from schools, further and higher
education institutions and the NHS.”
This means that targets for the FE sector are imminent. The LSC and
BIS (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) have been
undertaking research to establish a baseline of emissions and
propose indicative targets based on a range of scenarios to inform
the development of the carbon reduction strategy. FURTHER GUIDANCE
FOR THE FE SECTOR IS EXPECTED TO BE ISSUED IN APRIL 2010.
Regardless of the outcome of the Carbon Reduction Target for the
FE sector, the
CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is a mandatory carbon trading
scheme for large non-energy intensive organisations using more than
6,000MWh per year of electricity. You will need to be aware if you
are required to comply with this scheme. The
CRC Insight Guide gives a good overview of the scheme, with a
flow-diagram to work through to determine if your organisation is
affected.
Help and advice
Scotland’s universities and colleges have publicly
declared their intention to address the challenges of climate
change and reduce their carbon footprints by signing the Universities
and Colleges Climate Commitment for Scotland (UCCCfS).
Signatories are committed to producing and publishing a 5-year
Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) which will include measurable
targets and timescales to achieve a significant reduction in
emissions from all business operations and activities, and their
publish annual results on progress, detailing outcomes achieved and
further actions required. Underpinning the UCCCfS is a package of
support facilitated by the EAUC. More information is available
here.
Four simple steps to get your Carbon Reduction started
Step one:
Set up a Carbon Reduction Steering Group to focus efforts. Working
as a group ensures that tasks are spread out, and the group will
have a key role in keeping momentum going.
Step two:
The key to reducing carbon
emissions is to first understand the amount energy consumed. Ensure
that meters are regularly read and recorded. These readings can
then be used to check the accuracy of bills, as well as be used to
start to understand patterns of energy used.
If a history of meter readings do not exist, calculate a baseline
energy consumption using a year’s worth of bills (with
accurate readings if possible, rather than estimated).
Once this baseline is known, future consumption can be compared
against it, and the effectiveness of energy saving measures and
campaigns can be monitored. Setting energy reduction targets and
publicising these shows commitment to make change, and will raise
awareness of saving energy throughout the organisation.
Step three:
Once a baseline had been calculated, the next step is to identify
how to reduce the energy demand. For sites with an energy bill of
over £50,000 per year, the Carbon Trust can provide a free
survey to identify energy saving opportunities. Call the Carbon
Trust on 0800 085 2005.
In addition to the Carbon Trust survey, an out-of-hours energy
survey is an invaluable insight to excessive energy use. This
survey entails a site walk-around in an evening or over a weekend,
looking (and listening) for any equipment that is left on.
Computers, photocopiers, lighting, fume cupboards, air
conditioning, heating, etc can all be identified this way.
Take notes of what findings, and discuss with those responsible
reasons for equipment being left on. There may be underlying
reasons, or assumptions that can be uncovered, that prevent the
equipment from being left off, and these should be followed up as
to their accuracy and necessity.
Step four:
By undertaking the Carbon Trust survey, and out-of-hours survey,
various energy saving measures and ideas will have come to light.
Develop a plan of what needs to be implemented, and prioritise
action to get the energy savings underway.
Useful Carbon Trust
publications (download at end of page):
• FHE walk around checklist (CTL 082)
• FHE sector overview on low and no cost energy saving
measures (CTV 020)
• Energy efficiency in FHE – cost-effective low energy
buildings (ECG 054)
• Energy efficiency in PFI / PPP contracts in HFE (GPG
321)
Case studies
As part of the UCCCfS project (see above, Dumfries and Galloway
College have produced Carbon Commitment Action Plans (CCAPs) for
their two sites. Although these are for the Scottish scheme,
the action planning they have documented is a good example of how
to approach carbon reductions on the estate. See links to
documents below.
Continue the journey
Steps to take now…
- Follow the flow diagram on page 3 of the CRC insight guide to
ascertain your CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme responsibilities.
- If you are under the responsibility of the local authority, or
LSC, contact them for details of your Carbon Reduction Target
responsibilities, or to be updated when further information is
available.
- Set up a Steering Group, contact the Carbon Trust for a free
survey, identify where energy can be saved in your estate, and
develop a plan to prioritise taking action to reduce energy
use.