1. Please confirm if the Authority are buying Carbon Offsets;
Yes
2. If you are, how much in ktCO2e offset as a percentage?;
5% of 2019/20 and 7.5% of 2020/21 corporate emissions – 1,100tCO2 and 1,585tCO2 respectively
3. If you are, is this action audited?
No
4. Please confirm if the Authority are mitigating by direct offsets?
As the question does not provide a definition of ” direct offsets” we have interpreted your question to refer to
using our own land to implement certified carbon-offsetting activity, rather than buying offsets from a third party. IN this context, we can confirm that we do not but we this will be done in the future.
5. If you are, how much in ktCO2 offset as a percentage?;
Up to 10% of 2021/22 and 15% of 2022/23 corporate emissions – 2,028tCO2 and 3,883tCO2 respectively
6. If you are, is this action audited?
No
7. What steps has the Authority taken to involve direct employees?
We have an Environmental Performance Management Group comprising relevant employees who have a key role in improving the organisation’s environmental performance – these are colleagues representing procurement, buildings, transport, waste, finance etc. We have an e-learning module on Environmental Performance within our induction toolkit for all new starters that explains what individuals can do to help with the agenda.
8. What steps has the Authority taken to involve local businesses?
A letter has been sent to all of Devon County Council’s suppliers advising them of our declaration of a climate emergency and our 2030 net-zero target. A survey of existing knowledge and capability within our local supply chain for minor civil engineering works has been completed to help us understand the support we may need to put in place to help our supply chain work with us to meet our target. A project is underway with one of our most carbon intensive contracts – highways maintenance – to develop and test new approaches and materials to reduce its carbon intensity.
9. What steps has the Authority taken to involve your workers directly?
Please see our response to question 7 concerning Devon County Council employees.
10. What steps has the Authority taken to involve residents directly?
This information is available online at Devon carbon plan.
In addition, a series of webinars were held between December 2020 and February 2021 to explain each section of the draft Interim Devon Carbon Plan to interested residents. Targeted social media advertising to disengaged demographics has been implemented during consultation stages and in the run-up to the citizens’ assembly. In July 2021, the Devon Climate Emergency will feature on the Devon County Council stand at the Devon County Show.
11. What steps has the Authority taken to involve resident organisations?
Local councils have been engaged (as described at question 3 in the next section below) as have community energy and sustainability groups in Devon who have received updates at regular network meetings (e.g. the Devon Community Energy Network).
12. What steps has the Authority taken to involve visitors/tourists to the area?
No communication has been targeted at visitors so far as the industry has been largely shut down due to COVID. In July 2021, the Devon Climate Emergency was featured on the Devon County Council stand at the Devon County Show which is popular with visitors.
13. Has the Authority entered into a contract for any implementation of the net-zero target?
We have one member of the Devon Climate Emergency team contracted to us from the University of Exeter.
In addition, we could like the Council to provide the following information:
1. please confirm how many Town Councils and/or Parish Councils/Community Councils in your area have made Climate Change Emergency Declarations;
This information is available online at Climate emergency signatories
2. please provide the names and contact details of each of these;
Please see our response to question 1 above.
.
3. please confirm how your Council collaborates with each Town Council and/or Parish Council/Community Council;
The parish and town councils are represented on the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group by the Devon Association of Local Councils. They have participated in the public consultation on the draft Interim Devon Carbon Plan and helped promote it through their social media, local newsletters and via a set of posters that were posted to every parish council in Devon. We ran a workshop in July 2019 on carbon footprinting to help parish councils understand how to calculate a carbon footprint of their organisation.
4. please confirm which other community groups/organisations that you liaise and cooperate with that may have made a Climate Change Emergency Declaration and how your own declaration with any other work.
Please see our response to question 1 above.
Further, most organisations that have declared their own declaration have also endorsed the Devon Climate Declaration to show commitment to the Devon-wide initiative.
5. please provide details of any other local community action your Council carries on to pursue any plans and commitments relating to your Climate Change Emergency Declaration.
This information is available online at Devon climate emergency
This includes dedicated pages showing what the partner organisations are delivering whilst developing the Devon Carbon Plan at Devon climate emergency – taking action