Climate change

This week the Climate Change Committee published its 2023 Annual Progress report to Parliament proving a comprehensive overview of the UK Government’s progress in reducing emissions. The commission welcomed the increased transparency embodied in the publication of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan (CBDP) but highlighted its confidence in the UK meeting its medium-term targets has decreased in the past year.

We have responded to the Climate Change Committee report, stating our concern. We added that councils could impact over 80 per cent of emissions in their area and that, as local leaders, councils can lead targeted climate action that would hit net zero targets for half the costs and generate three times the returns. We have called for backing to rapidly retrofit social and fuel poor homes, decarbonise transport, protect and grow biodiversity, and powers to roll out renewable energy schemes.

NAO report on waste

The National Audit Office has today published a report on ‘The government’s resources and waste reforms for England’ which found that household recycling rates in England had stalled over the last decade. The report is critical of Defra for not having long-term planning to tackle waste and boost recycling. We have responded stating that councils work hard to maintain recycling rates and divert millions of tonnes of waste from landfill.

We believe that although more needs to be done to boost recycling to reach national targets and even higher standards, avoiding creating waste in the first place is the best way to decrease how much ends up in landfill. Councils need certainty on the timetable for implementation of the full set of Defra’s reforms to waste and recycling. We have stated that councils need the flexibility to meet the needs of communities and play their lead role working with government, industry, and communities to lead this change in partnership.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero has published a bulk upload template for the Energy Bills Discount Scheme heat network support. Heat suppliers can now make a single application for multiple heat networks.

The scheme was created to provide domestic customers on heat networks with support for their heating and hot water bills. This is because heat networks purchase energy through commercial contracts, so the Energy Price Guarantee does not apply.

All heat suppliers with domestic end consumers are required by law to apply for the scheme and pass on the benefit they receive to their end consumers. The heat supplier is the body responsible for supplying and charging for the supply of heating and/or hot water supplied by the heat network. Councils and housing associations that operate heat networks will need to apply. 

EV chargepoint utilisation

New research by the Green Finance Institute and Zapmap has revealed the flatlining utilisation rates of most public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints. Despite significant growth in the number of EVs on the road and the country’s charging infrastructure between Q4 2021 and Q4 2022, the research found that the time-based utilisation of charge points across most power ratings did not change significantly during this period. On average, time-based utilisation increased from just under 14 per cent in Q4 2021 to 15 per cent in Q4 2022. However, one exception to this trend was the time-based utilisation of ultra-rapid chargers (100kW+) increasing from just over 12 per cent to more than 16 per cent over the same period.

Net Zero neighbourhoods

Councils seeking private sector funding for net zero schemes are invited to put forward their proposals to 3Ci – the Cities Commission for Climate Investment. 3Ci is looking for projects to be included in a new National Net Zero Neighbourhoods Programme, which will support and raise the profile of pilot schemes looking for local investment. This is a non-competitive process.