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A NEW green tool is being launched by Fife Council to make sure that reducing carbon emissions becomes a normal part of everyday working practices.
The Carbon Emissions Audit System will help all Fife Council services identify ways to reduce the emissions they produce in carrying out their work. Each service within the council has already been challenged to reduce their emissions by 3 per cent each year to help Fife become the leading green council in Scotland and meet the target set out in the Climate Change Declaration – that emissions will be reduced by 80% by 2050.
The council already knows it faces a significant challenge – it missed the 3 per cent reduction target it set itself last year – so the new auditing system will help services make carbon management a normal part of their day-to-day operations explained Councillor Ross Vettraino, vice-chair of the environment, enterprise and transportation committee.
He said: “We need to create a carbon culture where dealing with the impact of emissions becomes second nature to us. We know what the financial or legal implications will be when we provide services to the people of Fife, but we consider the environmental impact in the same way so we can take action to reduce or mitigate any negative effects.
“By auditing ourselves on our environmental performance we can ensure that we are providing all council services with the right support, expertise and best practice so that they can change or introduce greener working practices while continuing to provide Fifers with a first class service” Councillor Vettraino added.
Starting in April this year all council services will take part in the Carbon Emissions Audit System. Each service will be provided with their baseline performance so they know where they are starting from. The audit process will help services identify and agree where they can reduce their carbon emissions allowing them to be measured on their progress over time.
“We can’t expect our own services to take responsibility for their carbon emissions if they don’t know where they are now and where we expect them to be” Councillor Vettraino said.
“Equally, we can’t expect our own services to tackle emissions head on and embrace a carbon culture without the right support. I think the audit system is going to present us with some challenges, but I also think it will be exciting. Fife Council is again leading the way and showing what can be done to be the leading green council in Scotland.”
For more information contact
Cllr. Ross J Vettraino OBE, Vice-Chair, Environment, Enterprise & Transportation CommitteeTel: 08451 55 55 55 + Ext 44 21 48 Contact Ross J Vettraino OBE online
By Post: Fife Council,
Chris Ewing, Environmental Sustainability Manager
Tel: 08451 55 55 55 + Ext 44 04 46 Contact Chris Ewing online
By Post: Fife Council, Kingdom House, Kingdom Avenue, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT
