Kirklees Metropolitan Council: Experience of Implementing EMAS. Helena Tinker and Adele Wiseman EMAS Managers

Transcription

1 Kirklees Metropolitan Council: Experience of Implementing EMAS Helena Tinker and Adele Wiseman EMAS Managers

2 41,000 hectares 400,000 population 30% High Density Urban 70% Greenbelt Background - Council North of England 25 service areas 18,500 employees 800 buildings 470,000,000 Example Services - housing - highways - refuse collection - social care - planning - estates management

3 Discussion Points Background Why EMAS? Barriers to implementation and costs KMC environmental programme Benefits and Achievements Future plans

4 Background - EMAS Environmental Policy 1996 Adopted EMAS 1998 Committed to a 3 year implementation plan 2000 Year 1-9 departments Year 2-18 departments Year 3 - All 25 departments succeeded

5 Why EMAS? Leader of KMC committed to the environment Wanted something to drive environmental Improvement Wanted a tool to help us monitor and report on performance public statement Recognised in Europe Externally verified and respected system Must be legally compliant

6 Barriers Budget pressures Continually maintaining commitment Barriers to Implementation Solutions Many Initial financial savings to be made Costs associated with prosecution Engaging with staff on regular basis Other political pressures Many other Council initiatives Now a team of 15 staff pushing the environmental agenda through the Council

7 Barriers Barriers to Implementation Time pressures officer time Ensuring legally compliant keeping up to date Initially bureaucratic paper work! Solutions 2 EMAS officers who support Services External help bought in for small cost Simplified the system one excel spreadsheet Cultural change old habits Training and awareness raising

8 2003 Budget: 124, EMAS Officers ( 90,00) Training /publications ( 10,000) External Verification ( 24,000) Corporate Costs 2005 Budget: 72,500 2 EMAS officers ( 60,000) Legal Update ( 500) Training/ publications ( 2,000) External verification ( 8,000 per year - 3 year cycle) Remember hidden costs also such as officer time!

9 Examples of Capital Costs Depot improvements e.g. Environmental Services spent 38,000 to be compliant with the Oil Storage Regs. Environmental Improvements e.g. Highways salt barn 155,000

10 All Council services have: EMAS in KMC Identified their environmental impacts and applicable legislation Have an environmental programme for improvement Regular EMAS management meetings Corporate initiative Corporate auditing system Corporate environmental legal register Corporate emission monitoring Corporate environmental programme for improvement Environmental statement

11 Corporate Environmental Programme 28 Corporate Objectives our environmental policy. 20 corporate targets with performance indicators Some examples of areas covered: % reduction in CO2 emissions (buildings and transport) % use of renewable energy in the design of buildings Number of green travel plans for schools % of household waste which is land filled Number of community environmental projects Number of recycling schemes in council services Reported in the Environmental statement

12 Service Environmental Programme Service specific objectives and targets Example: Highways Department Upgrade oil storage to be compliant with legislation BEFORE AFTER Use 60% secondary and recycled materials Recycle 60% of excavated materials Train highways staff on environmental procedures

13 Benefit Legal Compliance Highways Services BEFORE AFTER ECO-MANAGEMENT AND AUDIT SCHEME

14 Benefit Risk Reduction All council depots have correct and legally compliant storage of chemicals and oil. All have emergency plans and spill response procedures

15 Benefit Identifying Problem Areas Building Services BEFORE AFTER

16 Benefit Drives and Monitors Performance and Improvement Monitors Performance against 20 corporate environmental targets All Council services set their own objectives and targets where needed which are reviewed every year Produce an annual public environmental statement on performance

17 Benefit Emission Reduction and Financial Savings Monitor: Buildings energy use Fleet transport Employee mileage By end of financial year 2004/05 KMC reduced emissions by 30.1% from 1990 levels

18 Benefit -Biodiversity Management Implementation of Biodiversity Action Plan Identify endangered species that can be introduced to council land Improve management of ancient woodlands Ensure council services are compliant with wildlife legislation and BAP Training on Biodiversity to all council services

19 Benefit - Renewable Energy in Kirklees Supported 10 renewable energy projects in Kirklees in 2005 SunCities EC funded project resulting in 4.9% of the total solar PV in the UK installed in Kirklees Visit from UK Minister for Environment, Sept 05 15kW wind turbine installed at local school More renewable projects planned for council buildings in 2006

20 Benefit Greener Procurement Environmental purchasing policy Use of FSC wood only. 100% recycled paper. Purchase green energy. Contractors used by most services are appraised for environmental credentials. All waste contractors used are checked for legal compliance. Environmental issues included in tender process. Bio diesel now purchased for all vehicles.

21 Benefit Environmental Awareness Training Environmental Cascade Officer network 6 environmental theme months Open days EMAS induction Website/ Intranet Leaflets and press releases

22 Benefit Recycling and Reuse Many Corporate recycling schemes in place Examples Office paper Toner cartridges Furniture Computers Fluorescent tube lighting Green waste Timber waste Waste engine and cooking oil Cardboard

23 Benefit Recognised in Europe Access to more external European funding the Environment Unit accessed 5.37m worth of funding for environmental improvements in financial year

24 Life Funded European Project - NEST Kirklees & Global to Local coaching 10 LA: - Poland Hungary Greece Committee of European Municipalities and Regions ( CEMR) disseminating project throughout Europe

25 Benefit Networking with LA Yorkshire EMS Group Kirklees, Leeds & Bradford set up in 2003 since then 7 other councils have joined. Sharing best practice on EMAS Discuss problems Invite useful guest speakers Website Rotate venue between LA s

26 Future Plans Helping partner organisations implement an EMS Funding to develop EMS networks in the UK Develop a UK legal register and update service for Local Authorities Future corporate EMS targets to be set e.g. another 30% CO2 reduction by 2025 from 2005 baseline

27 Contact Details Helena Tinker: Adele Wiseman

28 Thank You for Listening