Sustainable Energy Toolkit and Benchmark for Local Authorities
“… [This programme] will deliver a benchmark for action on climate change and sustainable energy. All local authorities will be able to measure their practices against it. It will include a range of self-assessment activities, ideas for improving performance and mentoring opportunities. It will help local authorities to access sources of support and funding for sustainable energy and climate change by the EST, the Carbon Trust and the Home Energy Conservation Association;” The Local Government White Paper — Volume 2 — Climate Change
Over the last six months the seven local authorities that were awarded Beacon Status in 2005 for Sustainable Energy, the IDeA, Defra and the DTi have been working together to produce a draft benchmark and toolkit that draws on their good practice to enable councils to evaluate their current performance and provide specific guidance to make improvements.
The Beacon Councils for Sustainable Energy in 2005 include the London Borough of Lewisham, Leicester City Council, High Peak Borough Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Shropshire County Council, Woking Borough Council and the only joint winner, the local authorities of Cornwall.
The programme has started its pilot phase using 21 councils to evaluate the toolkit.
Each Beacon Council will act as a mentor, and will provide support and guidance to seven councils that have signed up to test the benchmark and toolkit, which has been funded by the DCLG. The toolkit is essentially designed to be used as a stand alone tool and as such, the remaining fourteen councils will trial the resource under minimum supervision.
Each council that is being mentored will concentrate on the top three to five issues that arise from completing the benchmark and work with their mentor to develop an action plan for improvement.
The pilot is scheduled to run until the end of March 2007 where analysis of their experience and development will be collected to help with producing the final version that will be launched nationally in June 2007.
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