Further success for council in improving green footprint

Recent figures, published by Harborough District Council in its inventory of carbon emissions, show that carbon emissions from gas, electricity, and vehicle fuel, have been reduced by five per cent since last year. That’s a reduction in 146 tonnes of carbon dioxide.  This has been achieved by such improvements as more efficient lighting and initiatives such as green travel plans, and work with contractors on fuel-efficiency training.

Electricity usage in Harborough Market was nine per cent lower (over 25,000kwh) than the previous year, due to the electricity generated by the solar panels and new, more efficient lighting. This has led to a saving of almost 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide at the market and a significant financial saving to the taxpayer.

The council’s waste contractor FCC Environment has also continued to improve its fuel efficiency, in spite of bigger collection rounds, and have saved a further 70 tonnes of carbon since last year. This is thanks to the introduction of more efficient vehicles in 2016 as well as regular staff training and monitoring.  

Cllr James Hallam, Harborough District Council’s portfolio holder for finance and assets, said: “We are committed to saving money and operating as efficiently as possible. This latest emissions report highlights even more reductions as a result of energy-saving improvements. We will continue to look at more opportunities to utilise renewable energy and expect to see even more savings when future reports are published.”