Local authorities face the challenge of balancing net zero ambitions alongside statutory responsibilities, competing priorities and limited resources.
Building on the success of our Early stage Local Area Energy Planning project for Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, the Hub has commissioned the Centre for Sustainable Energy to capture the most effective tools, prompts and exercises from the project and bring them together in one practical, easy-to-use toolkit.
The toolkit is designed to support meaningful discussion, reflection and decision-making, helping local authorities move from ambition to action on local energy planning.
What this toolkit is
- A collection of tools, prompts and exercises to help officers build understanding, strengthen relationships and identify priorities so they can make more informed decisions about where to focus effort and resources.
- A practical resource for strengthening the organisational, place-based and partnership foundations that underpin successful local energy action.
- A useful precursor to a LAEP or similar planning process, helping authorities get organised, understand their place and build the relationships needed to make future planning and delivery more effective.
- A flexible resource that can be revisited over time as local priorities, opportunities and planning approaches evolve.
The toolkit is organised around five questions that frequently emerge when local authorities begin exploring local energy action:
- Are we organised, capable and ready to lead local energy action?
- Do we understand the opportunities and challenges in our area?
- Do we have the relationships needed to influence and deliver change?
- Are we focusing effort where it can create the greatest value?
- What should happen next?
Join the South West Net Zero Hub and CSE at a webinar on 23 September 1:30pm to discover the new toolkit, hear how other local authorities are taking forward local energy action and learn how you can strengthen the foundations needed to plan and deliver change.
Download the toolkit: Strengthening the foundations for local energy action