Case studies

London Borough of Enfield partnered with digital technology company OnePlanet to collaborate and develop the company’s existing sustainability platform to support the council to achieve their climate action targets.

Enfield Council have worked in collaboration with Kensa Contracting and Engie to deliver England’s largest shared ground loop array heat pump programme replacing electric heating, all in under one year and whilst the flats remained inhabited. The project serves 400 flats in eight tower blocks in Enfield was named District Heating Project of The Year at the 25th annual H&V News Awards in 2019.

In May 2023, Essex County Council unveiled the new Carbon Cutting Essex app, which will play an important role in helping Essex to transform to become a greener county.

Essex County Council led on this three-year, ERDF-funded project with nine other project partners across the France (Channel) England (FCE) region. BLUEPRINT will continue to help local authorities in England and France to connect the circular economy to sustainable and inclusive growth. The project created a toolkit for local authorities to use to transition to a circular economy, developed a circular economy training programme and engaged residents and businesses in circular economy practices.

The ‘Love Essex Not Plastic’ campaign aimed to change the mindset of how plastic is used, reduced and recycled in Essex. By encouraging residents to sign the Essex Plastic Pledge, and commit to changing their current behaviour, they receive information to help reduce single-use plastics and find suitable alternative, plastic-free options.

In 2020, Essex County Council appointed Jacobs and Essex Highways to develop Sustainable School Travel Design Guide after identifying the need for greater guidance to optimise sustainable design.

A green infrastructure pilot scheme that uses rain gardens, swale (a shallow grassy drainage channel for water to run through), tree planting, and over 1,300 plants has helped to reduce surface water flooding on a residential street in Essex.

Exeter City Council have been constructing buildings to Passivhaus standards since 2009, using their triple bottom line approach to deliver high quality builds, by being socially, environmentally and financially responsible. Since starting to deliver Passivhaus homes, they have developed and built nearly 150 homes to these standards. The process of designing and building so many different types of structure, has enabled them to improve their delivery model and in doing so reduce the overall cost.

Forest of Dean Climate Action is a climate emergency community partnership that is currently being established to coordinate a district wide community-based response to the climate emergency. It will bring together communities, businesses and organisations from across the district to deliver community led climate action through collaboration, empowerment and knowledge sharing, with the imperative of driving the district to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Forest of Dean District Council is implementing a range of measures to decarbonise its Coleford office building, including installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage system and replacing existing lighting with LEDs. The project aims to demonstrate how decarbonising assets and operations can be economically viable and deliver long-term financial benefits to organisations.