Oxford City Council cited as an exemplar low-carbon authority
Oxford City Council has been described as a exemplar authority by The Carbon Trust for its work in reducing carbon emissions. The council has made excellent progress in the first year of its carbon-management programme and plans to reduce carbon emissions by a challenging 25% by the end of March 2011 and by 3% year on year thereafter.
During the last financial year (2008/09), Oxford City Council put measures in place to reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions by over 800 t, or 8% of total emissions from its core operations.
Peter Roberts from The Carbon Trust explains that the trust has funded two projects at Oxford City Council in the past year. He says, ‘It is rare that we fund two projects in parallel in one year, but reflects our view that Oxford City Council is an authority that can make things happen.
Major initiatives have included motorised or liquid pool covers at Barton, Blackbird Leys, Ferry, Hinksey and Temple Cowley pools. Variable-speed drives have also been installed at all but Blackbird Leys pools.
Voltage-reduction units have been installed at three large sites, including the town hall.
