Energy
Making the green decision pay off
In the week of the ADEPT Spring Conference, new president Mark Kemp says - while some are saying we can’t afford net zero - we need to think more boldly and take more risks.
Ministers must stop flip-flopping over commercial deals
Heather Jameson says ministers should 'stop the policy flip-flop over commercialisation – choose a stance and stick with it'.
Investigation into 'errors' that cost Liverpool £4.5m
An investigation has been launched into ‘control failures and errors’ that cost Liverpool City Council millions of pounds.
How can councils address the rising cost of energy?
Don McLean asks if building energy efficiency is the key to mitigating energy crisis impacts on local councils, and he looks at how to make savings using technology.
Is wind power the next step in delivering net zero?
Martin Barnes discusses the intensifying pressures being placed on local authorities to reach ambitious net zero targets, and how these can be achieved through the use of small wind.
Government needs to commit to reducing energy consumption
Neil Marshall argues that reducing consumption is the only sure-fire way of tackling an energy crisis, and local government can help with this challenge.
UK's energy security strategy is missed opportunity
Local government is a vital piece of the UK’s energy security puzzle, but it has been virtually ignored in the new strategy, says Polly Billington.
LGA in energy costs leisure warning
Rising energy costs are ‘driving decisions’ to close council leisure facilities or reduce opening hours, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
The energy crisis: what can councils do to protect their communities?
The Government continues to shy away from the investment needed to improve the energy efficiency of housing, but Green Doctors can still help people navigate the crisis, says Fay Holland.
Energy strategy to bring about planning overhaul
The Government is to reform planning regulations in the hope of boosting the nation’s energy supply.
Reform would help more councils achieve their ambitious targets and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels
The 2021 revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework missed the opportunity to remove existing barriers to onshore wind generation, says Kathy O'Leary.
White van man on... energy security
Let’s face it, all this climate change stuff is a dead duck. At this rate, if the price of gas keeps heading north we’ll be back down the coal mines digging out the black gold with our bare hands.
Think big, act local, start now
Communities will look to their local authority for further support with the cost of living crisis, says Paul O'Brien. Councils will also need to provide leadership in decarbonisation, he adds.
Future Forum North: local government still lacks a plan for delivering sustainability
Local government still lacks both a plan for delivering sustainability and a way of measuring the impact of investment, says a Northern council director.
Councils weigh up risks over Gazprom contracts
Councils caught up in energy deals with state-owned Russian gas company Gazprom have been warned they are ‘caught between the proverbial rock and hard place’ when trying to escape agreements.
Blazing the path to net zero
Ben Simcock discusses how government-funded decarbonisation schemes are trailblazing change.
Local authorities will be able to top up council tax rebate
Local authorities will be able to pay households facing financial hardship more than the council tax rebate, the Government has agreed.
Councils rethink £30m of Gazprom spending
Councils are reconsidering the multi-million pound contracts they have with the state-owned Russian gas company Gazprom in light of Russia’s Ukraine invasion.
Net zero culture war
A localist and levelling up aligned approach to decarbonisation is all that stands between us and the threat of a net zero culture war, writes Jonathan Werran.
End of an era for energy firms?
With the high profile demise of a series of local authority-owned energy firms, Martin Ford asks if it is the end of councils dipping their toes in the energy markets or if a spark of life still remains.
