When it comes to initiating a transition to carbon net zero, planning makes perfect, says Kirti Rudra, Energy & Carbon Solutions Director with EQUANS.
Carbon emissions and climate change are rarely out of the headlines, and organisations of all sizes are acutely aware of their responsibilities towards the environment and future generations. The Government has set a target for the UK to be net zero by 2050, and many organisations have already set themselves even stricter deadlines.
For local authorities, tackling the climate emergency has been a priority for a number of years. All are at different stages of the net zero journey. Some already have roadmaps in place and have begun implementing decarbonisation measures, while others are still gathering the data to inform their action plans.
Rising to the challenge of decarbonisation
One of the greatest challenges for public sector bodies at any stage of the decarbonisation journey is prioritising measures to achieve the greatest impact and deliver the widest benefits across the organisation.
The challenge is made more complex for local authorities by their varied portfolio of properties and assets, each with differing ownership arrangements. Many councils have limited financial resources to invest in carbon reduction measures and new low-carbon technologies. Various decarbonisation funding schemes are available, but it’s important to get the timing right to meet application deadlines and avoid delaying essential capital projects.
The challenges of planning, prioritising and implementing decarbonisation measures are exacerbated by a lack of time and expertise in often under-resourced organisations. However, expert support is available from facilities and energy management specialists, like EQUANS, with particular expertise in the net zero transition.
Scoping out your carbon footprint
Successful decarbonisation demands a carefully planned and structured approach, beginning with an understanding of your organisation’s carbon footprint. That requires an assessment of the carbon emissions associated with your operations. Specialist consultants can help accurately assess carbon emissions, which will include ‘scope 1’ direct emissions from fuel consumption and vehicle fleets, and ‘scope 2’ energy-related indirect emissions, including emissions from purchased electricity, heating and cooling.
Councils may also need to assess ‘scope 3’ indirect emissions, such as those associated with waste disposal, transport and employee business travel. All of these emissions combined make up the baseline carbon footprint against which carbon-reduction targets will be set.
Creating a joined-up net zero roadmap
By analysing your baseline emissions, energy consultants can recommend the most effective combination of measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero over an agreed period. There is a hierarchy of measures, beginning with easy-to-implement, low-cost energy efficiency strategies, through to longer-term renewable generation and green thermal schemes that require greater capital investment. The options include:
- Energy efficiency — introducing energy-efficient products and services, such as LED lighting or building insulation, as well as changing operational practices to optimise energy use.
- Asset conversion — transferring fleets to electric vehicles, converting oil and gas boilers to low-carbon technologies, such as electric heat pumps.
- Green power — sourcing electricity from renewable generators, installing onsite or offsite renewable generation facilities (e.g. solar PV, wind), corporate power purchase agreements.
- Decarbonising heat — sourcing green gas for heating, installing onsite or offsite renewable heat generation plant (e.g. biomass, hydrogen, anaerobic digestion) and local heat networks.
- Offsetting — tackling residual emissions by funding certified carbon-offsetting schemes overseas, or ‘insetting’ through tree planting, green corridors and sustainable landscaping within the region. Councils often prefer such local measures, as they provide a visible demonstration of their net zero commitment to local communities.
It’s important to calculate the correct mix of options that will best deliver net zero, given the demands and operational requirements of your specific properties, assets and activities. These measures can be set out in a net zero roadmap, which provides a framework and action plan for your long-term carbon-reduction programme.
Planning, scheduling and prioritisation
From this roadmap, detailed plans can be developed setting out the options to be implemented, year-by-year, over time. Detailed technical specifications and investment-grade proposals will need to be developed for each of the measures and projects.
When scheduling projects for implementation, it’s important to think about impacts across the wider organisation. Think about linkages to other parts of the organisation and other priorities, so you can coordinate activities in a way that ensures all measures complement each other and deliver the optimum benefits.
Your scheduling needs to take into account realistic delivery timescales for each project, considering the time required to plan, assess costs, achieve sign off, fulfil governance requirements, meet funding deadlines and begin implementation. Carefully planning, scheduling and prioritising your projects at the outset will enable you to set a realistic target date for reaching net zero carbon.
Financial planning for long-term returns
Funding options for each proposal must be identified at the planning stage, to enable timely applications to be made and to support effective budgeting. A whole range of funding options is available to help overcome budget constraints, ranging from green grants such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) and government-backed interest-free loans, to funding directly from energy partners or other third parties. These provide the essential capital required to get projects off the ground in a timely manner.
Many carbon-reduction measures offer an excellent return on investment, enabling councils to repay any funders over an agreed period. In fact, a significant benefit of many net zero projects is the ongoing cost savings they deliver alongside carbon reductions. So, at a time when budgets and revenues are under pressure due to Covid-19, net zero carbon initiatives can help to redress the balance and improve public sector finances for the long term.
Summary
As organisations across the public sector consider how best to deliver the Government’s net zero objectives, now is the time to seek specialist support to plan the way ahead and drive action forward. Whether you are at the initial scoping stage or have already begun implementation, expert support can help you turn net zero ambitions into reality.
