Congleton Town Council has been working to calculate it’s own Carbon Footprint. The methodology we are using looks at all the work we do and the items we use and buy. It is a combination of many factors including:
- Energy usage – for example to light and heat the Town Hall and run the Paddling Pool
- Vehicle emissions – both fuel usage and the carbon footprint of making and procuring the vehicles
- Machinery emissions – for example for gardening equipment
- Use of consumables like compost, paper and cleaning products
- IT and other office equipment – energy use and manufacture/procurement
We have had to make a lot of assumptions and estimates, but this work gave us a baseline carbon footprint in 2019 of 231 tonnes of CO2e.
We have had to make a lot of assumptions and estimates, but this work gave us a baseline carbon foot print for the financial year 2018-2019 of 231 tonnes of CO2eq. This is the amount of greenhouse gas equivalent to 231 tonnes of CO2 (See for example – https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions)
We will use the same methodology to measure our carbon footprint in 2022-2025. To learn more about what the Town Council is doing, see the Green Council section.
What is a Carbon Footprint?
This BBC video explains your carbon footprint and what you can do about it.
Calculate Your Footprint
You can estimate your own carbon and environmental footprint by using the WWF’s ‘Footprint Calculator’.
Use the calculator tool here to work out your own footprint.
Energy saving tips
- Don’t waste energy – turn lights off when you leave the room, don’t leave appliances on stand-by but switch them off and save energy. Find 100 more ideas to Save Energy in the Home
- Swap to energy saving light bulbs – they may be more expensive to buy, but save energy and can last up to 10 times longer. Fitting just one compact fluorescent bulb can save £3 to £6 per year. Save even more money by switching to LED bulbs. Get the bulbs called ‘warm light’ for living rooms.
- Turning it down – turning your heating down by one degree centigrade could save £75 per year, or even more.
- Also check out the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s ‘My Home’ advice – https://www.cse.org.uk/my-home/advice/
More Advice
Check out the The Wildlife Trust’s list of Things you can do about Climate Change.
Why not try Congleton Town Council’s Sustainable Living in Congleton eLearning energy module? It covers all aspects of home energy use, as well as what we eat, what we use/buy and how we travel, and is full of links to other resources and useful tips.
Carbon Footprint Ltd offers this free Carbon Footprint Calculator (but be aware that they are a business selling carbon offsetting!)
Last updated: 4th January 2024
Image by Freepik
