Case studies

Sheffield has one of the largest district energy networks in the UK, feeding leisure facilities, council buildings, universities and homes.

Islington Council aims to set up a borough-wide heat network that could potentially reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent.

Kirklees Council have a green ambition to cut carbon emissions by 30 per cent between 2005 and 2020. As part of that, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) has installed photovoltaic (PV) panels on several estates.

Bristol City Council is the first authority in the UK to develop and own wind turbines. The two turbines are predicted to generate 14.4 gigawatts (GWh) annually.

Birmingham's Climate Change Adaptation Partnership is putting health inequalities at the heart of its strategy. It's offering a range of tools and approaches to identify which communities will need most help to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Leeds’ Fleet Replacement programme is designed to identify the lowest emission vehicle available when needing to be replaced. Where possible, this means electric vehicles (EVs) as the default option, however this requires appropriate charging point facilities to support this change. When vehicles are identified as suitable for EV replacement, details of their depot locations are mapped and collated and they’re then replaced, however this was not always straightforward as this case study by Leeds City Council and the Energy Saving Trust explains.

Run by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, the Go Ultra Low Oxford project is trialling six types of charging infrastructure over 12 months to assess their suitability for on-street charging in residential areas. Case Study provided by the Energy Saving Trust.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) established the Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle (GMEV) Network in 2013. The network offers free charging for a nominal membership fee, with the costs being absorbed by TfGM. It was decided that the network required a technological renewal and strategic expansion if it were to support the mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the region and play a central role in improving air quality.

As part of Surrey County Council's climate emergency work, it has committed to facilitate the planting of 1.2 million trees – one for every Surrey resident – by 2030.

The Royal Borough of Kingston is committed to increasing the use of participatory democracy to develop responses to difficult issues. As a result, the council held our first Citizens’ Assembly, asking residents “how do we collectively improve air quality in Kingston?”.