Travel and transport (Focus Area 1)
How we get around has a significant impact on the Planet and the local environment. Cars, vans, Trucks, buses, motorcycles enable people to travel, work and live in ways that would not be possible without vehicles, however if those vehicles are fuelled by fossil fuels (petrol, Diesel) than there will be emissions released into the atmosphere. As more vehicles are on the road today than many years previously, and as vehicles continue to get larger harmful emissions from transport are continuing to enter our atmosphere and worsen climate change.
In order to reduce transport emissions and halt climate change we can reduce the number of journeys taken by individually owned vehicles, instead opting for public transport or walking, cycling, wheeling and other active travel methods wherever possible. We can ensure we only use vehicles that are essential for example, perhaps a smaller car or van is sufficient, whilst also being cheaper to run and with lower emissions. When a vehicle must be used, we need to move to low carbon options such as electric vehicles (EVs). EV technology has advanced rapidly over the past few years and for the majority of uses an EV offers a suitable, lower carbon, cheaper to operate transport.
What the Council needs to do
- Rationalise our fleet
- Encourage other modes of transport such as walking and cycling for our staff
- Support a wider uptake of EVs through the sharing of information and installation of infrastructure
- Explore all options to reduce our fleet emissions in the most cost effective way
- Convert our fleet to electric vehicles
What we are doing
Public Electric vehicle chargers
North Warwickshire Borough Council has worked with an Electric Vehicle charger installer to identify areas in which to install publicly available EV chargers on Council land. The Council’s ambition is that by increasing the number of publicly available EV chargers across the Borough residents, businesses and visitors are all supported to transition to low carbon electric vehicles. By ensuring a range of chargers are installed around the Borough the Council will ensure that range of needs a range of needs are met from cheaper overnight charging for those without off-street parking to rapid chargers to keep people moving.
The Council, working together with Warwickshire County Council is asking residents views on areas where public EV chargers are needed. This may be for areas without off-street, parking, rural areas or a number of other locations.
If you wish to suggest a location for EV chargers, please complete the form on Warwickshire County Councils website - https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/electric-vehicles/request-new-electric-charging-point
Need met - Support a wider uptake of EVs through the sharing of information and installation of infrastructure.
HVO pilot
North Warwickshire Council Councils most carbon emitting vehicles are the Council’s heavy fleet, this includes the refuse wagons and recycle wagons that collect waste across the Borough. To overcome the challenge of reducing emissions of these large, regularly used vehicles the Council has been actively working to explore the potential of low carbon fuels. Low carbon fuels have the potential to offer a significant reduction of carbon per mile driven and to serve as an interim measure before vehicles are replaced at the end of life. This ensures that relatively new, functional vehicles can be utilised until their end of life, reducing the carbon impact of scrapping functional vehicles.
Need met - Explore all options to reduce our fleet emissions in the most cost-effective way.
Fleet replacement
The Council is investigating which vehicles can be replaced with EVs at the end of the current petrol or diesels vehicles life. This work considered the upfront cost of new vehicles, the operational costs, additional infrastructure needed, any additional training and several other aspects to ensure the transition to an electric fleet is a success.
Need met - Convert our fleet to electric vehicles.
Optimised waste collection routes
The Council’s waste management team, who are responsible for the collection of residential and business waste across the Borough, have been working to optimise the current routes for waste collection whilst minimising any disruption to residents and businesses. This work ensures that all properties are served whilst minimising the number of miles driven. Due to the size and weight of the refuse collection vehicles route optimisation can have a significant impact on the fuel consumption and subsequent emissions and fuel costs.
Need met - Explore all options to reduce our fleet emissions in the most cost-effective way.