Since the Sustainable Development Plan was agreed at Full Council numerous projects have been taken forward. The main aim of which is to help improve the status of sustainable development within the Authority. In order to take the first steps Denbighshire had to apply a definition of sustainable development and use that as a foundation to build upon. Denbighshire has agreed a definition of sustainable development. The adoption of this definition was the first step taken to positively integrate sustainability into the planning and decision making process.
Denbighshire County Council is taking steps to contribute positively to the global issue of Climate Change through the development of Project Gaia - Denbighshire County Councils Corporate Carbon Management Strategy. This strategy sets out the framework to deliver a 3% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the Council estate, fleet vehicles, waste and the business miles staff travel over the next 10 years. A series of projects will be undertaken each year to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide the Council emits as well as an on going behaviour change programme to ensure emissions reductions are sustained year on year and beyond the duration of the Carbon Management Programme.
Denbighshire County Council has also taken the decision to pilot the development of an Environmental Management System. The Council is working in partnership with ARENA Network to pilot the implementation of the Green Dragon Environmental Management System in County Hall. This has seen the Council make a commitment to continuous environmental improvement, compliance with environmental legislation, pollution prevention and communication of environmental issues. The most important areas of environmental management that the Council is seeking to address focus on energy and water management, waste management, procurement, communication and transport.
Steps are being taken to build the key elements of sustainability into Denbighshire’s procurement process. The Corporate Procurement Strategy has incorporated the key elements of sustainable procurement. The strategy is expected to be signed off in May 2008 once the formal consultation phase is complete. In the mean time Denbighshire is in the process of moving to the use of e-procurement system to improve efficiency and contract accessibility. The software is currently live within a pilot environment and a number of e-tendering projects have been piloted through the system. There have been positive results in the form of reduced paper use and postage in the tendering process. These also have associated direct and indirect environmental and financial benefits through contributing to reduced resource use and transportation needs.
Education plays a vital role, not only to the future of our children but also to our future as an Authority and to this end Denbighshire County Council is looking to the creation of an Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) forum. The development of this forum is underway with input from Denbighshire staff, secondary and special schools teachers. The hope is to identify and share good practice, help schools map out their ESDGC work, help identify and create appropriate resources/websites, and formulate a strategy for ESDGC in Denbighshire.
A pilot scheme to address recycling in Council buildings is being taken forward in County Hall in conjunction with the development of the Green Dragon Environmental Management System. Further development is being coordinated by the Sustainable Development Officer and Denbighshire Waste Management Service in the form of a proposal to develop the collection infrastructure to take more recyclates from County Hall.
The sustainable development webpage on the Council’s website will be a principle tool to communicate development of the environmental management system.
Last Updated September 2009
