Waste services carbon baseline and reduction modelling
- Client Name
- Confidential
- Location
- London, UK
SLR supported the client to quantify baseline waste service carbon impacts, identify carbon hotspots and to test potential carbon reduction initiatives using a bespoke monitoring tool.
Challenge
SLR supported a local authority partnership in understanding a complex historic level of carbon impacts alongside the respective impact of each individual authority.
SLR’s client has declared a climate emergency, and required an understanding of carbon hotspots within their existing services, to help target specific mitigation measures and carbon reduction initiatives. Ongoing monitoring of carbon impacts is required for mandatory reporting and to track the progress of reduction measures that have been put in place.
Solution
Collation and modelling of the client’s historic waste data facilitated the identification of carbon hotspots within the existing waste management services. Use of the most recent annual audited waste services data enabled the setting of baseline carbon emissions for each individual authority and for the partnership.
Identifying carbon hotspots informed the development of a long list of potential carbon reduction initiatives for consideration by the client. SLR developed a bespoke model which allowed a series of ‘what if’ service change scenarios to be tested. The model was designed to be future-proofed, such that the client could introduce and assess additional carbon reduction options in due course, and monitor the overall carbon impact.
Impact
SLR’s model provided a detailed overview of baseline authority and partnership level waste service carbon impacts, enabling identification of carbon hotspots. Specific targeted carbon reduction measures were identified and potential carbon reductions against the baseline quantified.
The model will allow the client to test further carbon reduction measures as well as providing an ongoing monitoring and reporting tool. This tool will enable the inclusion of waste service data from future years to support tracking and reporting of waste service carbon performance and trends.