Setting the environmental standard
Warwickshire County Council is ‘practising what it preaches’ when it comes to the environment with a host of activities underway.
Cllr Alan Cockburn, the county council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “I’m delighted that we have been recognised again nationally for the actions we are taking in protecting and preserving the environment.
“As an authority we are often telling people in Warwickshire what they should be doing, and I therefore think it’s important to demonstrate that we are practising what we preach.
“We are one of just a handful of local authorities nationally to have achieved the highly renowned international environmental standard ISO14001. Following a recent strategic review of our continued work in this area, national environmental auditors have once again confirmed this certification.”
The certificate of registration covers ‘The development and management of both the natural and built environment in Warwickshire’.
Projects that have contributed to the council’s continued success in the environmental area include:
Setting up corporate recycling for most Warwickshire County Council sites where paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and tins are collected for recycling.
Setting up an Energy Advisors group empowering staff members to carry out energy checks, monitor energy use and provide advice to reduce energy as well as saving money.
Running a car share database for staff to reduce individual car use on the commuter run.
Reducing water consumption by installing water displacement devices in cisterns in several buildings.
Installation of a bio-mass boiler in St John’s Museum.
Replacing old style fluorescent tubes with energy efficient units.
Assisting schools to become environmental sustainable through the implementation of the sustainable schools’ strategy and school travel plans.
For more information on Warwickshire County Council’s work visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk