Bath & North East Somerset Council have been named the region’s Most Proactive Public Sector Body in the South West Green Energy Awards 2013.
The Council competed against other public sector bodies from across the south west such as colleges, local authorities, health bodies, fire services and the police.
Hosted by renewable energy champions Regen SW, the winners were announced at a dazzling awards ceremony at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.
When presenting the award the lead judge said: “The public sector plays a key role providing leadership and facilitating sustainable energy and many local authorities and other organisations are showing impressive commitment to an ambitious approach – as this award recognises.
“Bath & North East Somerset Council, the winner this year, provided compelling evidence of a long, impressive and diverse list of achievements across electricity, heat and transport plus other low-carbon/sustainability agendas.
“The judges were particularly impressed by the way they developed a replicable and strong partnership with a local community group – a partnership that has proved highly effective for delivery of projects on the ground. “
The judges were impressed with the wide range of actions that the Council has developed to facilitate a 45% cut in CO2 by 2026, including: A very low energy new build office in Keynsham; becoming the first local authority to begin a major programme to convert street lights to LED; driving forward a cooperation agreement to enable the development of Bath & West Community Energy; launching the Bath Green Homes joint project with Transition Bath and Bath Preservation Trust; creating the Energy@Home partnership to support residents to save energy at home; providing community group training under the Local Energy Champions scheme; making a political commitment to making the Bath Enterprise area a zero carbon regeneration scheme; cutting 80% of city centre deliveries to businesses subscribed to the Freight Consolation scheme and; achieving 52%+ of residential waste being recycled with the aim to recover value from 80%+ of their waste in 2013/14 through mechanical biological treatment (MBT).
Energy Champion Cllr David Martin, said: “We have robust policies in both renewable energy and energy efficiency and a strong team of officers in many departments that have contributed towards this success. It really has been a team effort.”
Corporate Sustainability Manager Jane Wildblood added: “It’s great to be recognised for the wide range of low carbon projects the Council has undertaken and for the cumulative impact of those, as well as for our focus on working with the community to enable much more action on the ground than would otherwise be possible.”
Merlin Hyman, chief executive of Regen SW, said: “Every year the standard and number of entries we receive rises, demonstrating the growing strength and depth of the renewable energy industry in the south west. The north of the region is performing particularly well, with four out of seven winners coming from Bath, Bristol or Gloucestershire. These winners are not only leading their field in this part of the country but also playing foremost roles in the development of renewable energy across the UK.”
