Council and borough emissions summary 2022-23

The below information represents the council's 2022 - 2023 update.

As a council we remain committed to leading the way in reducing our direct emissions by our ambitious target for net zero by 2030. This target includes the energy, water, and refrigerants (for air conditioning) we use in buildings we own, the street lighting in the borough, all vehicles we own or lease and all staff business travel. 

A breakdown of our emissions under the 2030 target is shown in the below list. We will continue to expand the scope of this 2030 target as we gain better data. For example, for staff business travel mileage by train and bus.

Kingston Council's greenhouse gas emissions 2022/23 in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e):

• 2,086 (35.8%) Gas use - buildings

• 1,224 (21%) Council owned fleet

• 1,360 (23.4%) Electricity use - buildings

• 887 (15.2%) Street lighting

• 206 (3.5%) Transmissions and distribution losses

• 53 (0.9%) Business travel

• 7 (0.1%) Water use

Comparing like with like, we have already seen a 27% reduction in our emissions since our baseline year of 2017/18. This is primarily due to a higher proportion of national grid energy being produced from renewable sources, but also includes changes to our building use, combined with our efforts to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings, lighting, fleet and travel.

Alongside these efforts to reduce emissions from sources we know and already measure, we have also been working to improve our understanding and measurement of emissions from assets that we directly pay for and/or own. 

Large emission reductions in the next few years are expected from purchasing renewable energy through our upcoming new energy supply contract, switching to LED street lighting, increased onsite renewable energy generation, replacing existing gas boilers with low carbon alternatives, and further energy efficiency improvements to council buildings.

Borough emissions

In the council’s first Climate Action Plan, approved in March 2022, we pledged to support the whole borough to work toward Net Zero by 2038.

Progress towards this can be tracked by using national data for the borough’s “territorial” greenhouse gas emissions.

Emissions from transport, domestic and commercial sources are the biggest emitters, and therefore need to be a focus of council efforts across the borough.

All sectors have reduced their carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions during this time - mostly due to national changes in how electricity is produced, with more renewable energy being made.

The council will continue to work with businesses, residents and visitors to help continue this trend and achieve the 12.8% reduction each year to greenhouse gas emissions required for the path to net zero by 2038.

One example of this support has been the Warmer Homes, Better Health project jointly funded by Carbon Offset funds and Public Health. The most recent evaluation showed 666 assessments completed during 2022/2023.

There are confirmed lifetime carbon savings of 1693 tonnes from the small measures that have been installed. Additionally, support has been provided to residents for large measure grant applications - if these are successful there are potential savings of 6445 tonnes over the 15 year lifetime of the installed measures.

Theme 1: Efficient Homes and Buildings

Energy use in homes across Kingston accounts for roughly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions across the borough, which is why it’s so important that steps are taken to improve their energy efficiency where possible, as quickly as possible.

Home improvements like loft insulation and double glazing not only help reduce carbon emissions, but they also help to lower energy bills and create cosier, healthier homes by preventing cold, damp and mould. However, some of these improvements can be costly and unaffordable for some residents, without financial assistance.

This means that when funding opportunities arise to help eligible residents improve their homes, the council needs to make the most of them. The council has been working with the Mayor of London’s Warmer Homes scheme, which provided grants of between £5,000 to £25,000 to eligible households. 

The council wrote to eligible households to make them aware of the grants and made sure to share the information with those receiving support for the Cost of Living crisis and promoted the scheme widely.

Funding applications are sometimes complicated, so the council’s Climate Action Team proposed an idea to the Greater London Authority (GLA) for a service to help residents through the application process. The GLA was supportive of the idea and provided additional resources, allowing the appointment of Thinking Works to provide this much needed support to not only help lower emissions, but to also make homes healthier and safer. 

The council also connected Thinking Works with Kingston’s Community Champions who volunteered to increase awareness of the Warmer Homes scheme at Kingston’s Warm Hubs and libraries. The volunteers referred eligible residents to Thinking Works to receive further support throughout the application process and the council would like to thank them for their time and commitment.

Over 90 eligible applications were received from Kingston residents, with 59 properties already having completed the works. Many residents had their work completed during the winter and immediately felt the positive impact the Warmer Home grant had on their lives. One resident said:

“The place is so cosy! Last year, our energy bill was around £200 a month. Prices have gone up, but I am convinced we will be saving money. We are over the moon, we really are.

“My granddaughter came round the other day and it was so warm, she thought the radiators were on, but they weren’t.”

The council also successfully bid for £600,000 of funding from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, which in combination with council funds, will allow the installation of energy efficiency measures including improved ventilation, insulation, solar panels and battery storage in 66 council homes. This will make them warmer and reduce energy needs, potentially saving each household around £600 a year while reducing their carbon emissions.

Kingston’s first ever Efficient Homes Show took place in May and was created in partnership between the council, Kingston Green Business Community, community groups and Hollyfield School. Over 400 people signed up to attend and find out about products and technology that could help improve their homes while reducing their energy bills and carbon emissions.

Theme 2: How We Travel

Transport accounts for 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in Kingston and that in order to meet net zero goals, improve air quality and health, a shift in how people get around the borough, with far less reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles will be needed. 

Kingston Council is leading the way on sustainable transport as one of two boroughs working on the ‘London Councils Low Carbon Transport Programme’, supporting action across the capital. Alongside the City of Westminster, the council commissioned a study to understand what specific action is required in the boroughs to meet net zero goals. 

This study will inform decision making going forwards and help to evidence the need for change and additional action to meet the borough’s climate targets while improving air quality and improving health outcomes.

Did you know that Kingston has over 13km of two-way cycle paths? 

To make cycling even more convenient across Kingston borough, work has been ongoing to get more people cycling by delivering cycle training, installing cycle hangers and by working with Human Forest to introduce a trial dockless e-bike service. Since their introduction on Car Free Day in September 2022, users have made over 19,000 journeys and travelled over 44,000 miles.

Kingston is part of the world-wide School Streets initiative to help keep children and their families safe by limiting motor vehicle access around the school gates at school start and finish times. This reduces air pollution and supports active travel by allowing children to walk, cycle or scoot to school safely. 

In 2022, two new permanent school streets were established for Christ Church CofE School and St John’s Primary School and a new trial extension for Lovelace Primary School commenced this Spring. They join the existing five School Streets in the borough that have been making journeys to school safer.

While walking, cycling and public transport are the lowest impact ways to travel, and have significant health benefits, the council is also supporting the move away from fossil fuel based vehicles and an improvement in air quality by encouraging the installation of electric vehicle charging points across the borough. 

There are now over 250 electric vehicle charging points installed in lampposts, and 30 fast charging points. The current delivery of lamp column charging points has been funded through the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).

Theme 3: Natural Environment

Kingston is lucky to be surrounded by significant green space with Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common, Home Park, the greenbelt and the River Thames along our borders. This means that Kingston is geographically important to ensuring that wildlife populations can move through the borough to connect with other populations - and it is vitally important that there is protection for the natural infrastructure and populations contained within the borough to protect the natural environment from the wide range of threats that it currently faces, including climate change. 

In February 2023 Kingston scaled up its protection of the natural environment with the approval of its first ever Biodiversity Action Plan. This plan compliments the activity in the Climate Action Plan by outlining how the council intends to take a leading role in enhancing the biodiversity and health of nature in Kingston. Kingston itself is 37% greenspace, with 272 open spaces covering an area of 1,369 hectares.

The borough has a wealth of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, hedgerows, standing open water, rivers, streams and the Thames, all of which have designated habitat action plans included within the Biodiversity Action Plan. 

It also outlines ways in which ecosystems can help to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change; for example by capturing carbon, improving drainage, retaining water or cooling the surrounding environment.

In Kingston 2,062 species have been recorded, though this is probably an underestimate of the true number it provides an insight into the wealth of biodiversity that an urban environment can support. Kingston is home to true marvels of the natural world; from peregrine falcons stooping at speeds in excess of 200 mph to enigmatic stag beetles battling on a warm summer's day. 

It is vital that this plan recognises, communicates and protects the biodiversity that calls Kingston home. As such the plan includes Flagship Species Action Plans that are specifically tailored to Kingston’s wildlife populations.

Complementing this plan, WildWay sites and RBS Pollinator Friendly Certified BioBeds have been established across the borough, helping to improve wildflower and pollinator numbers across Kingston. Regular nature walks and talks take place, engaging hundreds of people each year, and community partnership work, such as the London Zoological Society’s London Hogwatch programme, and Field Studies Council Recorder Days connect residents with the borough’s nature, highlighting the importance of protecting it from climate change.

The council looks after over 12,000 trees in Kingston’s parks and green spaces and between November 2022 and March 2023 planted 500 more. Trees have huge value when it comes to climate change, capturing carbon, cleaning the air and providing shade and cool spaces. Thames Water committed £10,000 to support a small wetland creation scheme on Beeline Way to help mitigate loss of habitat.

Making the most of our green spaces not only provides a haven for wildlife, protecting it from the impacts of climate change, but they can also capture carbon, provide cool spaces for residents and spaces for people to connect with nature, take exercise and benefit their health and wellbeing. Many of our local green spaces have ‘friends of’ groups, if you would like to get involved you can find out what is going on on our website.

Theme 4: Waste

Since the publication of the Climate Action Plan the council has been working to increase the amount of reuse, repair and waste prevention in Kingston by sharing knowledge and supporting community groups across the borough.

Council officers, Councillors and community groups have been gathering every two months to discuss waste reduction, reuse and recycling at Recycling Minds meetings. Participants have been networking, sharing ideas and project updates to promote more sustainable waste practices in the borough.

The council helped launch a Zero Waste Map in August 2022, advising residents and visitors to South-West London as to where they can shop whilst supporting the local circular economy, which can be accessed via phone or computer. The map shows businesses, facilities and workshops that encourage the circular economy by eradicating waste packaging, encouraging reuse, upcycling and repair or offering facilities to recycle goods and materials once they have reached end of life.

A reusable nappy webpage was launched on Kingston’s website in February 2023. This includes advice on reusable nappies and links to neighbouring nappy libraries, where residents can trial different branded reusable nappies for their babies. For 2023/24, Kingston will be part of the Real Nappies for London voucher scheme, offering 30 vouchers to low-income families and three reusable nappy engagement and baby clothing swap events will be taking place.

In March 2023, Kingston joined the pan-London Eat Like a Londoner campaign led by ReLondon. Eat Like a Londoner is a platform built to engage and educate Londoners on how to reduce their food carbon footprint. The platform has links to lots of content on food waste reduction and planet friendly diets. The campaign will consist of three bursts of London wide advertising as well as more localised communications to residents. 

In November 2022, the council coordinated with Sunray Recycles to set up a one hour a week volunteering opportunity at Kingston Cemetery. This involved the separation of wreaths from their casings to ensure the flowers were composted and the plastic casings reused or repurposed. 

A space was provided at Kingston Library for Transition Town Kingston’s Repair Cafe, which opened in February 2023. The Repair Cafe takes place on the first Saturday of every month where volunteer fixers support the community with fixing broken items and stopping items from being needlessly thrown away. 

Over the past year there has been a focus on intelligence gathering through public consultation, a “waste composition analysis”, carbon modelling, design options for the infrastructure at the Villiers Road Household Reuse and Recycling Centre and a plan to reduce the amount of contamination in the recycling collected that reduces the carbon benefit of those services.

Theme 5: Sustainable Council

The Sustainable Council theme covers the key actions to be taken within the operation of the council to ensure that climate is considered across all activities and that progress is made towards the 2030 target of reducing emissions from the council’s core operations. In the first year, supported by a new Climate Action Team that was recruited by September 2022, the council has been taking action, building skills and understanding its impacts and emissions in more detail. 

One of the first steps has been ensuring that all staff are equipped with the knowledge of the severity of climate change, an understanding of what a council can be delivering to reduce its impact, and the tools they need to prepare for the impacts of climate change. Over 90 officers have undertaken an accredited course of Carbon Literacy training to give them this knowledge. This includes both senior managers across the organisation and officers that are working in the most relevant areas, such as Commissioning, Finance, Planning and Highways.

The council has been considering the environmental impact of its estate and how it uses its space for work, with a view to reduce our needs and impact. It has been working to better understand the emissions from its estate and operations. In particular, it is taking a much closer look at emissions from its buildings and delivering a Greater London Authority scheme to develop a roadmap for energy efficiency and renewable energy generation across the corporate estate. These include its care homes, leisure centres and offices, which are its biggest emitters. 

The council has also been reviewing options for increasing the proportion of renewable energy that it buys in a way that guarantees an increase in renewable supply to the national grid and the soon-to-arrive electric fleet of waste collection lorries. 

39% of the council’s electricity energy usage is related to street lighting, and work has started to convert this with modern LED technology that will use half the electricity than the lights they are replacing, reducing the associated carbon emissions and being cheaper to run for the council. Roughly 6600 bulbs have been installed so far. 

The way in which the council buys goods and services has been reviewed to ensure that more detailed consideration is given to environmental factors. This includes looking for social value in major contracts and providing the officers making purchasing decisions the knowledge and skills to make them effectively.

The council has also been reviewing its fleet to understand the impacts of ULEZ and how we can transition to electric vehicles. It currently has 15 electric vehicles that are used by a variety of council teams including Estates Services and the Community Library. Six new electric vans are also being used by the council’s parks contractor, Glendale. Work is underway at the Villiers Road Household Reuse and Recycle Centre to prepare for the arrival of the borough’s electric waste fleet. The cleaner, greener and quieter electric vehicles will remove 554 tonnes of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to taking 270 cars off the road.

The council is also working to mitigate the impacts from climate change, including for instance the increased risk of flooding. Government predictions are that the peak rainfall of extreme storms will increase by up to 40% in London by 2050. The council is working on designs for three flood alleviation schemes within the borough, targeting critical drainage areas to store flood water and release it slowly. The council requires new developments to be designed to remain safe during extreme storms including a 40% allowance for climate change, and new developments to not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.

Theme 6: Green Economy

Activities related to business and industry account for 15% of carbon emissions in the borough. The council has been working closely with Kingston Chamber of Commerce, local organisations and businesses to help the transition to a thriving low carbon economy. 

At the heart of the council’s work are three objectives:

• Reducing negative impact on the environment

• Supporting eco-innovation and securing green business opportunities

• Developing the green skills required to achieve the two other objectives. 

The council developed two initiatives - RAISE (Recovery, Adaptation, Innovation Support for Enterprise) and the Green Business Challenge and provided around £370,000 of funding to support 27 local micro and small businesses to reduce the negative impact of their activities on the environment while developing further or new environmentally friendly products and services. 

A series of Think Green Roundtable Discussions and training sessions for businesses have been organised on a range of topics including; energy crisis management, decarbonising websites, environmental sustainability, understanding climate change, decarbonising business fleets, environmental reviews and marketing of environmental achievements.

The council has also worked with South Thames College Group, South London Green Skills Academy and Kingston Adult Education to create a variety of qualifications to help get more people into green sectors and retrain existing workforces, which will be incredibly important in the coming years. Examples of the courses include introductions to: Solar Technology, Electrification of Cars, Waste Management, Sustainable Fashion, Environmental Awareness and Retrofit.

Toward the end of 2022 the council created the Kingston Green Business Community which is an open forum for businesses and organisations committed to reducing their environmental impact, promoting sustainability, eco-innovating and thriving. It’s free for all businesses to join and enjoy benefits like networking, knowledge sharing and problem solving.

The community has over 60 active members, including small and large businesses, as well as local anchor institutions, such as Kingston Chamber of Commerce, Kingston University and South Thames Colleges Group. Third sector organisations, such as Community Brain and Transition Town Kingston have also joined the community. The community has an instrumental role in developing and shaping the borough’s journey to becoming a thriving, diverse low carbon economy. It is a hive of innovative and practical solutions. It meets regularly, to discuss and collaborate on ideas and projects which not only help them as businesses, but also help local communities and the environment.

For example, two members, JNDC and Lime Track Limited, in collaboration with Kingston Council and funding from GLA’s South London Internet of Things (IoT) programme, are piloting a project in Surbiton to help hospitality sector businesses tackle food waste, which has a significant environmental impact, and at the same time reduce their operational costs and comply with legislation. 

The project will enable businesses to easily measure, track and reduce their avoidable food waste while providing a dedicated collection service. Any food waste collected will be processed to generate renewable energy and organic fertiliser. As an example, six used tea bags could provide enough energy to boil the water for your next cup of tea if processed at a special facility called an anaerobic digestion plant. If the same six teabags went to landfill, the emissions produced would be equivalent to driving over 1 km in a small car. 

Not only will large financial savings for the businesses be made, but the project will also help to tackle climate change by ensuring commercial food waste doesn’t end up in landfill where it decomposes and releases a powerful greenhouse gas called methane.

Theme 7: Everyone Together

Kingston is very fortunate to have a large number of green-minded groups and individuals that are committed to protecting and improving the environment for current and future generations.

With their help the council created Sustainable September in 2022, which was a month of activity hosted, supported and promoted by the council, community groups and businesses to get people talking about climate change and inspiring them to take action. 

Over 40 activities took place across the borough including; bat walks and nature walks, bike maintenance sessions, eco-home open days, energy saving workshops, events at Tolworth Court Farm, tidy-ups at local nature spots and a variety of webinars on different topics.

The month came to a close with GreenZone at the Ancient Market Place which brought groups together from across the borough for a day of activity and public engagement. 

September also saw the reformation of the Kingston Environment Forum (KEF) with support from the council’s Climate Action Team. KEF is an umbrella network for local environmental groups, and acts as a ‘critical friend’ to the council on climate action. The members of KEF play an important role in delivering environmental community action across the borough.

The council has strengthened its working relationships with groups across the borough throughout the last year. In 2022 and early 2023, it worked with the Kingston and Richmond Youth Parliament on their Climate Youth Fund which provides the borough’s younger residents with funding to bring their environmental ideas to life. 

Examples include a new food growing area and healthy cooking club at Dickerage Community Centre, an Eco Fair run by St Mark’s and St Andrew’s Youth Group, rewilding projects at Tiffin Girls’ School and Richard Challoner School and the creation of VegePods at Kingston Academy to grow food for school meals. 

The council also worked with Kingston Hive to find and provide a temporary space for their Climate Emergency Centre, in the heart of Kingston Town, as well as a space for Transition Town Kingston’s monthly Repair Cafe, giving old and often loved items a new lease of life.

Connecting individuals, communities and businesses with information to help them tackle climate change is integral to helping the borough reach its climate targets - a bespoke section on the council’s website, providing a variety of information to help everyone take steps to reduce their climate impact has been created. This has been supplemented by the regular sharing of events, media campaigns and funding opportunities across all of the council’s promotional channels.

The council would like to take this opportunity to thank all of Kingston’s green-minded groups for the important role they play in tackling the climate and ecological emergencies at a local level, as well as helping to improve the borough and protect it.