Achievements and Activity

The Council has long since recognised the need to reduce its carbon footprint and has been proactive in doing so.

• In 2013 we introduced agile working for our staff. This has reduced commuting and business mileage by an estimated 1 million miles per year, across our workforce. This is a carbon saving of 483 tonnes.

• We have installed solar panels on the roof of our headquarters at Kilworthy Park, Tavistock. 

• Our headquarters also have flush toilets which use an innovative rainwater harvesting system to save water.

• We have improved the energy efficiency of existing housing through grants and enabling schemes such as Cosy Devon, the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation.

• We have installed electric vehicle charging points at Kilworthy Park, which are free to use to encourage uptake.

In terms of future carbon production, the Joint Local Plan (JLP) is one of only a handful in the UK which has set a carbon reduction target. Policies require development to be environmentally conscious, support a low carbon economy, protect the best agricultural land, and deliver resilient communities with good access to services by foot, cycling and public transport. The policies also seek to protect and enhance biodiversity and linked habitats.

We will update this page regularly with new achievements as we work to reduce our carbon footprint still further.

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