Here are some of the key initiatives that the council is implementing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Devon.
Reducing the Council’s emissions
Devon County Council’s 79,000 plus streetlights and most traffic signals have been converted to low carbon LEDs. This has reduced the carbon emissions generated by its street lighting by over 75 per cent, reducing carbon emissions by more than 15,000 tonnes each year, the equivalent of taking 8,000 cars off the road. We have installed a better management system, which means we can easily control when lights switch off and/or dim and identify dead lightbulbs without a site visit.
Energy upgrade works were completed at 9 corporate buildings during 2022 and 2023 and we have funding to decarbonise the heating at a further 3 properties in 2025 and 2026. Measures that have been installed include wall insulation (cavity and external), high-performance windows and doors, LED lighting, heat recovery systems, heat pumps (replacing gas boilers) and solar panels. In addition, we are renovating County farmhouses to the Decent Homes Standard and have done 43 so far. So far we have installed 56 solar PV systems on roofs, 25 air source heat pumps and 1 water-source heat pump. We are investigating additional opportunities for renewable energy on our estate.
Forty-six electric vehicles have replaced diesel vehicles in the council’s vehicle fleet and a further eight are expected to be ordered during 2025/26. We are replacing diesel vehicles as they get to the end of their life as replacing a vehicle unnecessarily causes an increase in carbon emissions due to the energy and materials required to manufacture a new vehicle.
We’re reviewing our road maintenance procedures – the materials we use, how they’re produced, how they’re used, how they’re applied, the labour required, the time it takes, how long they last, everything – to assess the carbon impact of the work we do. We’ve developed a ‘carbon calculator’ to work out what the carbon impact is of maintenance and new build jobs. And having worked that out, we are working out how to do those jobs with far less carbon impact on the environment.
Innovative proposals for the A382 link road development near Newton Abbot to become the UK’s first “carbon negative” highway received £3.7 million to implement ways to decarbonise the construction and maintenance of the road. The ambitious A382 scheme aims to show that moving towards carbon negative highways is possible without the need for offsetting – providing a “live laboratory” opportunity to promote change in the design, construction and maintenance of roads.
Reducing emissions from buildings in Devon
Devon County Council has led the way on developing programmes to retrofit residents’ homes, which meet eligibility criteria. Starting with the Zero Energy Buildings Catalyst (ZEBCat) programme in 2017 and then building on this with Hug 2 and now Warm Homes in partnership with Plymouth and Torbay Councils and all the District Councils. These programmes have demonstrated that retrofit works can make homes more comfortable as well as achieving substantial reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions. In addition, they support many enterprises in Devon to learn new skills and develop new markets for retrofit works.
Energy Saving Devon is a free advice service supported by Devon County Council to facilitate and support the upgrading of Devon’s homes. It includes a Plan Builder that helps you identify where the opportunities are to make your home warmer, reduce your CO2 emissions and cut your energy bills. This is tailored around what we know about your property and can highlight the opportunities and likely costs of improving your home – empowering you to upgrade your home.
Reducing emissions from transport
A County-wide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) was adopted in 2024 by the County Council. This complements plans already in place for Barnstaple and Bideford, Heart of Teignbridge and Exeter. Plans for Clyst Valley and Tiverton/Cullumpton are in preparation.
These will:
- Provide a network plan for walking and cycling which identifies preferred routes and core zones for further development.
- Design a prioritised programme of infrastructure improvements for future investment over the short, medium and long term.
- Ensure that consideration is given to cycling and walking within local and neighbourhood plans and transport policies and strategies.
- Make the case to government for future funding for walking and cycling infrastructure.
Devon County Council (DCC) is working with local authority partners to install on-street and off-street electric vehicle charging in residential areas and car parks across Devon. We received £7 million from the UK Government to roll out further EV charging points in March 2024 through the LEVI programme.
Devon County Council delivers children’s Bikeability and adult cycle training. Bikeability provides children with important skills to help them cycle more safely and more often. Devon County Council has now helped over 70,000 children take part in the free training since 2006. In addition, we are one of the partners in Active Devon, which runs many projects and events to support and encourage us all to be more active and healthy and work with the Devon Local Nature Partnership on Naturally Healthy May.
There has been a big rise in the number of homes and businesses taking up superfast broadband services thanks to the Connecting Devon and Somerset programme. This is reducing the need for people to travel to access services and for work.
A new railway station has been completed at Marsh Barton in Exeter, daily services from Exeter to Okehampton restored and a second station is being constructed at Okehampton. Work has started to re-open Cullompton and Tavistock stations.
Reducing emissions from waste
The opening of a waste transfer station at Brynsworthy, Barnstaple, in February 2019 marked the end of household ‘black-bag’ waste being sent to landfill in Devon. All ‘black-bag’ waste is now processed in Energy from Waste facilities where it is converted into electricity.
Recycle Devon is a campaign supported by local authorities in Devon that promotes sustainable waste management to the public. The campaign has an education element that provides workshops, assemblies, events and site visits for schools and youth groups, including a new Scouts badge. These have contributed to a recycling rate of more than 50% , ensuring Devon remains one of the best performing counties in England.
Devon Reuse Project – this promotes the reuse of items rather than their disposal, thereby reducing the carbon emissions associated with disposing of waste and manufacturing new items. The Project gives support to repair cafes and reuse groups, organises events, skill sharing, Devon Upcycling Day and improving reuse at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
You can find out more here: Devon County Council – Waste and Recycling