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Welcome to your monthly edition of our Climate Change newsletter!
As you may already know, last summer Northumberland County Council declared a climate emergency. Since then we have laid out clear objectives to help tackle climate change in Northumberland.
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Cutting the council's carbon emissions in half by 2025. Making Northumberland carbon neutral by 2030. |
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We have set out a detailed action plan for the next few years to help give us the best opportunity to meet these ambitious goals, and how we can fight the climate emergency together.
Look through our seven priority action areas for climate change.
Where can you help make a difference? 👇👇👇
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| Climate Change Q&A, 17 March 5pm
To accompany our Climate Change Action Plan for 2021-23 we are running a series of public Q&A webinars focused on each of our priority action areas, giving you the opportunity to ask your questions on a regular basis.
On Wednesday 17 March from 5pm to 6pm our climate change panel will be answering your questions around heating and renewable energy.
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Green Homes Grant: Local Authority Delivery
In a bid to reduce fuel poverty and tackle the climate emergency, Northumberland County Council are thrilled to announce the launch of a new £3.4m scheme offering energy efficiency improvements to more than 300 households across the county.
The Council are working with E.ON to carry out improvement works to 200 private and 140 council owned properties, installing a mix of air source heat pumps, solar PV and external wall insulation.
Eligible households must own their own property, have a household income of less than £30,000 and hold an EPC rating of D or below. Residents do not need to be an existing E.ON customer to benefit from the scheme.
This investment has been awarded by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of their Local Authority Delivery aspect of the Green Homes Grant.
To apply visit: eonenergy.com
Email: GreenHomesGrant@eonenergy.com
Call E.ON, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm: 0333 202 4820
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Want to save on household bills? 🏡
Save energy and reduce your bills this winter, with help from the Big Energy Saving Winter campaign. Each small step adds up to a bigger saving and will help keep your home warm.
Check to see if you’re eligible for discounts, grants and support.
Switch your tariff or energy supplier to get the best deal.
Save money by becoming more energy efficient. |
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| Greener council buildings
Works to install solar panels at five of our council sites is now complete. This is the first phase of our solar PV installation fully funded by the council in a bid to help reduce our own carbon emissions before 2025.
These improvements will see a reduction of 542 tonnes of carbon to these five sites over their lifetime, and is predicted to save he council £24,000 each year.
Sites that have benefitted from Solar PV are:
- Dene Park House
- Eddie Ferguson House
- Stakeford Depot
- Riverside
- Willowburn Leisure Centre
We are also planning to install ground source heat pumps several of our buildings following a £3m grant from BEIS through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund.
This funding will enable a reduction of 333 tonnes of carbon emissions per year from the point of installation. That’s the equivalent of planting almost 4,000 trees each year!
The works will be carried out at six sites including:
- Belford Fire Station
- Swarland Primary School
- Stannington First School
- Stamfordham Primary School
- Whittingham C of E School
- Willowburn Leisure Centre
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Free Trees case study
We are delighted to share with you all this wonderful case study of Morpeth mum Amy Mullet and her family, who jumped at the occasion to collect one of our free trees back in December. Amy is keen to teach her children about the catastrophic effects climate change could have on our planet, not just on a global scale, but at a local level too. Her family are finding the best ways to reduce their carbon footprint, and one of those ways is by planting more trees.
Our free tree scheme will be launching again this summer, so watch this space for our next giveaway.
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Community Climate Champions
If we’re going to make Northumberland carbon neutral by 2030, we need everyone to get involved and do their bit to help reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. It’s important we all work together to reduce our carbon footprints, inspire change in our communities and educate those around us.
We are in the early stages of developing our Community Climate Champions programme, which aims to educate and empower residents, businesses and whole communities to take action to support the climate emergency, as well as creating a network of shared knowledge, resources and support across the county.
We are currently fine-tuning the scheme with a pilot group of individuals and local community groups from across the county, and are hoping to launch the scheme to the public in August 2021.
If you are interested in becoming a Community Climate Champion with us this summer, please email climate@northumberland.gov.uk and we will add you to our waiting list. In the meantime, please keep doing the fantastic work you are all doing to fight climate change, and do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you need support or advice. |
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Impact: Community Carbon Calculator
Impact gives you a visual representation of your community’s carbon footprint, helping you spot the areas where your community climate change activities can make the biggest difference.
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Ride it Out
Love to Ride is back with their Ride it Out Spring cycling challenge.
The challenge begins on March 1 and lasts throughout the whole of March. Log your rides to compete against friends and family. Each week Love to Ride will share a theme to motivate you to get back in the saddle.
🧡 Week 1: HEALTHY A chance to saddle up and enjoy all the health benefits of biking, from sleeping better to living longer and everything in between.
🌈 Week 2: RELAXED A week dedicated to the wellbeing aspects of biking. Whether it’s riding with friends, reconnecting with nature or reducing stress levels.
🌍 Week 3: GREEN Help save the planet by swapping cars for handlebars!
☀️Week 4: FREE Ride it Out will finish with a week of adventures from the saddle. We want everyone to do something new on their ride!
Good luck!
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This email has been produced by the Northumberland County Council Communications team. |
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