Having declared a climate emergency in 2019, Kirklees Council has announced they are taking a step towards a greener future by having all council-owned buildings and street lights powered by green energy from April next year.
They have arranged for its energy supplier to switch them from the corporate electricity supply to a green electricity tariff for the remaining 2 years of the current contract, which will last until April 2023.
How Switching Helps
Green energy means that the council’s electricity supplies will be generated entirely from renewable sources.
The impact of using green energy in their buildings, street lights and schools is expected to reduce the districts carbon usage by around 17,250 tonnes which is enough CO2 to fill 3450 hot air balloons.
Once the contract ends, the council will look to secure another green energy contract to help contribute to its pledge to be carbon neutral by 2038.
‘Leading by Example’
Cllr Shabir Pandor, Leader of Council said: “As a council we are committed to leading by example as we tackle the climate emergency.
“Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere and contribute to global warming, these carbon emissions are now causing an overall warming of the planet with corresponding devastating impacts starting to be felt.
“Selecting a green tariff for the council’s energy usage is an essential step in our pledge to help save the planet.”
The plans follow the government’s nationwide goal of net zero emissions by 2050, as well as their 10-point plan for a ‘green industrial revolution’.
‘Significant Difference’
Cllr Naheed Mather, Cabinet Member for Greener Kirklees said: “The council operates over 100 buildings and more than 180 schools, by switching their electricity to a green tariff now, we can make a significant difference to how much carbon we are emitting.
“Green energy uses electricity generated from non-fossil fuel sources such as wind farms, and solar panels.
“Whilst the change to green energy does slightly increase to cost per kilowatt, I strongly believe that the cost of not changing on the environment outweigh this.”
First Steps
The council says that changing to green energy is just the start of their plan to reduce carbon emissions, and they are encouraging everyone to do their bit to help save energy and money.
Common practices such as remembering to turn off lights in empty rooms, switching to energy-saving lightbulbs, turning appliances off standby and washing clothes at 30 degrees can make a real difference.
Beyond that, considering the switch to a green energy tariff can make a long term difference and help save money.