February news from CLASP

Welcome to the February CLASP news round-up.

Highlights this month include:

• Resource Efficiency Support
• NW Rural Carbon Challenge Fund
• Government Offsetting Facility - Phase 2 opens
• NI 185 - Common Errors Made in Reporting
• Free Energy Display Monitors for Schools
• Environment Tools Directory
• Further Support for Members

The latest round of grant awards from the CLASP Small Projects Fund were made in January and we are pleased to tell you that the following projects will soon be underway, and CLASP will share their progress with you:

• Warrington MBC - MayDay Network Development with BitC
• Blackburn-w-Darwen LSP - Sustainable Procurment Criteria Development
• Manchester CC - Case studies of NI 188 comprehensive risk assessment (Highways and Christie's Hospital)

The next (and likely to be final) round of CLASP Fund will be in April 2010. Please visit the CLASP website for full information.

Best wishes

CLASP

Free Resource Efficiency Support for NW LAs, LSPs & F&RS

Watch this space... A new, short-term, intensive programme of support on resource efficiency is about to launch. The programme is closely related to and modelled on CLASP, and is also funded by the North West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (NWIEP).

Resource Efficiency and Local Sustainability North West (REaL NW) will deliver a free short programme of events and resources, initially up to July 2010. It will offer support for organisations aiming to improve their resource efficiency by mainstreaming sustainable approaches to their core activities and to the management of their estates and operations.

The programme will also operate a small capital projects fund for authorities to bid into to purchase equipment to improve resource efficiency within an authority's own estate.

CLASP will let you know as soon as REaL has fully launched, with information on how to join REaL's mailing list. REaL events will also be advertised in this newsletter.

For now, take a look at the website: www.real-nw.org or email the programme manager Kate Cox via kate@real-nw.org

Funds, Feed-In & Offsetting

EU Funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have launched a grant aid initiative to help local authorities make investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy. The European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) facility is designed to help cities and regions, through the provision of technical assistance, implement projects in the most efficient way so that they can attract outside financing. For more information visit this webpage.

Feed-In Tariff Rates Announced

The Renewable Heat Incentive will start operating in April 2011 and the initial rates for electricity feed-in have just been announced. They have been calculated on the basis of offering between 5-8% return on initial investment in the technology. The full tables and more information can be found by following this link.

Under the proposed tariffs the installation of a ground source heat pump in an average semi-detached house with adequate insulation levels could be rewarded with £1,000 a year and lead to savings of £200 per year if used instead of heating oil. The heat incentive could particularly help thousands of consumers who are off the gas network lower their fuel bills and gain a cash reward for greening their heating supply.

Alongside the rates a full consultation on the Renewable Heat Incentive has just been launched. The deadline for responses is 26th April and full information can be found here.

Government Carbon Offsetting Facility - open to all public sector

The Department of Energy and Climate Change and Buying Solutions launched the second phase of the Government Carbon Offsetting Facility (GCOF) on 18 January 2010 to offset public sector emissions in the period April 2009 to March 2012. The Department has written to alert Chief Executive Officers of public sector organisations across the UK to this and to highlight that the second GCOF contract is now ready for use by any public sector organisation wishing to offset its CO2 emissions.

Northwest Rural Carbon Challenge Fund launching in spring 2010

A ground breaking new £4m fund will be launched by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) later this year to support renewable energy projects in rural areas of the region focusing on wind, water and woodfuel. The projects will be funded through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and through funding provided by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).The aim of the fund is to improve the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector, the quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy and the living conditions and welfare of those living in rural areas.

It will demonstrate what can be achieved at a community level by creating exemplar supply chain partnerships. On the supply side it will support micro-enterprises to set up or expand a renewable energy business and to gain new skills through training. On the demand side it will support communitygroups and social enterprises with the capital cost of producing energy in community buildings and with technical support, feasibility studies, training and establishment costs.

For more information, contact Lee Allman on 01925 813200 or L.Allman@envirolinknorthwest.co.uk

NI 185 News

NI 185 - Common Errors in Use of Spreadsheet

After reviewing all the NI 185 baseline submissions DECC have released a list of the most common errors made in the data entry process. You can download the list from here. Watch out for these when you are completing the spreadsheet in future.

Free Energy Display Monitors for Schools & NW Conference

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Partnerships for Schools (PfS) are running an exciting new initiative to get Energy Display Meters provided and installed into English state-funded schools, absolutely free. All state-funded schools in England will soon be able to apply for a free Energy Display Meter. If you visit the website now you can pre-register and you'll be emailed as soon as they are available. http://www.energydisplaymeter.co.uk/

A conference is also coming up, sponsored by GONW:
Sustainable Schools: Mainstreaming the curriculum for the school community
A conference for curriculum leaders across Merseyside and West Cheshire, Halton and Warrington.

This will take place on Tuesday 23 March 2010, 9.30 - 3.00 at Liverpool Hope University Conference Centre. To find out more view the flyer. Or send an email to events@dep.org.uk phone 0161 921 8020 or download a booking form at www.dep.org.uk

Support For Members

New Climate Change Projections Guide for Elected Members

LGA has published a new guide, aimed at elected members, on the UK climate change projections published last year (UKCP09). The guide was developed with Defra, UKCIP and IDeA. It: introduces the UK climate projections, highlights the possible implications of the figures and the risks of failing to take action, sets out emerging good practice, provides a legislative context for taking action.
Download the guide by clicking here.

Free Members Leadership Academy on Climate Change

Following the success of earlier courses the IDeA is reconvening its leadership academy on climate change for senior members, portfolio holders and opposition spokespeople.
The course - which is free - is on 17 and 18 March 2010. This course offers participants the opportunity to learn more about the latest developments, how the best local authorities are approaching climate change, and the benefits of strong political leadership.

Alll NW Authority's member services officers have been informed, but please check your members have been informed of this opportunity.

Spaces are extremely limited, and will be awarded on a first come first served basis. For more information, or to book, contact Grace Collins, grace.collins@idea.gov.uk 020 7296 6563.

Other News

Environment Tools Directory Launched

Aether and Ends have sponsored the development of a directory of detailed information on over 300 tools (documents, spreadsheets, websites and other software programmes) for environmental accounting. The listings currently focus on air quality and greenhouse gas emission tools, but will soon be expanded to cover climate change adaptation, water pollution, waste minimisation, ecological footprinting and life cycle assessment tools.

The Directory is a free resource for users and practitioners in business, Government, other organisations and the general public. You can search for tools to get detailed information and links to tools or vendor websites. Registered users can add tools and provide reviews and ratings.

To take a look visit: www.emissiontools.co.uk

Manchester Piloting Local Carbon Framework

The government has announced the nine local authorities that it has selected to pilot new local carbon frameworks. The frameworks require councils to:
• set out a clear set of targets for action and a route for progress and milestones
• develop a clear strategy for how carbon reductions can be achieved
• produce a delivery plan involving partners, including those outside the formal strategic partnership.
Speaking at the LGA/IDeA/EST national conference on climate change last month John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said that "the nine authorities being named today are ready to help government identify the support needed for all local authorities to follow the lead of the best, make sure unnecessary barriers to action are swept away, and identify the tools needed for local authorities to do the job."

The pilot areas will help to develop and test the framework concept. To find out more visit:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1449033

Event Catch-up

NWIEP - Increasing Efficiencies from Fleet Management & Collaboration

This NWIEP event took place on the 10th February and the full agenda, all slides and materials are now online for you to view at: http://www.nwce.gov.uk/view_event.php?id=230
 
NW Climate Change Action Plan 2010-12 Launch

Friday 12th February saw the launch of the next phase of the NW Climate Change Action Plan at the Midland Hotel, Manchester.

CLASP - Environmental Communications & Social Marketing

The full slides from this over-subscribed course will be available on the CLASP website one the second session of the course has been delivered on the 25th February. There will be a link in the next newsletter.