1) Where do you buy your energy? Is it a green energy tariff?
Devon County Council purchases energy through a public buying group called Laser Energy Group which is part of Kent County Council. We are not on a green energy tariff.
2) What is the carbon footprint of DCC per annum? What steps are you taking to reduce it?
In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between central government and the Local Government Association on the sharing of information about greenhouse gas emissions, Devon County Council produces and submits an annual report on these emissions from the council’s own estates and operations. The latest such report, covering 2015/16 financial year, is available from our web site via this link:
Action to reduce Devon County Council’s energy consumption and the associated greenhouse gas emissions forms part of this authority’s Environmental Policy and the related environment performance programme. This includes a policy commitment to reduce energy consumption from corporate buildings, street lighting and transport by at least 2% per annum to achieve a 30% reduction from 2012/13 levels by 2030, together with providing 30% of remaining energy consumption from renewable sources by the same date. The total package will reduce carbon emissions by about 50%. The relevant document setting out the detail is available from our web site via this link:
Energy Policy Strategy and Action Plan
Further information relating to the energy and transport aspects of our Environmental Policy is provided through our annual Environmental Performance Statement, the latest version of which, covering the 2015/16 financial year, is available from our web site via this link:
Environmental Performance Statement
3) How many of your buildings are energy self sufficient?
Devon County Council does not currently have any fully energy self-sufficient buildings. However, we have reduced the authority’s energy consumption by over 40% since 2012-13.
Please note that Devon County Council now publishes most Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations request responses on its publication scheme. Details of previous responses are available at www.devon.gov.uk/accesstoinformation/previous-responses-to-requests. The council requests that members of the public make use of its disclosure log search facility before making a Freedom of Information or Environmental Information Regulations request, as it is possible that the information sought, may have been disclosed in response to a prior request.
Your right to complain
If for any reason you are not satisfied with how your request has been handled, please write to Customer Relations Team, Room 120, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD. Details about our Access to Information complaints procedure can be found at www.devon.gov.uk/accesstoinformation/frequently-asked-questions/access-to-information-requests/request. If your complaint is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, you have the right to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Re-use of information
The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Use for Direct Marketing purposes is prohibited. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. Most documents supplied by Devon County Council will have been produced by local officials and will be our copyright. If you would like to re-use any of the information which has been supplied to you, please contact us. Information you receive which is not subject to our copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any information.