Phase1
Phase 1 of the KASS climate change action programme is in two parts.
Part 1 Minimise your impact
Whether you are based in the office, travelling to meetings or providing local services, our working day inevitably causes some impact to the environment.
Environmental damage arises from:
- greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels or rotting waste in landfill sites
- using too much water
- over-use of naturally occurring resources such as wood and fossil fuels
- pollution of land, water or air
We can take positive steps by:
- enhancing or conserving biodiversity - trees and plants, animals, birds and aquatic life
- influencing staff, service users and partner organisations to adopt environmental best practice
- increasing the number of community projects or services which benefit the environment
Activity
- Please complete our online training course to learn more.
- Please then complete our survey.
Kent is expected to experience some of the greatest impacts of climate change within the UK, for which the services KASS provide need to be prepared.
For example, did you know?
- In the heatwave of 2003 there were thousands of excess deaths across Europe, including 130 in Kent. These conditions will be average summer temperatures in the UK by 2050 and mild by 2080
- Rates of domestic violence, arson, burglary and anti-social behaviour increase in hot weather.
- Kent is the most water-stressed area in England and the region most likely to suffer from shortages resulting in restrictions and stand pipes
- Kent has a high risk of coastal flooding
What might the implications of these be on your work, directly and indirectly? How would your users cope with a disruption in service? What can you do to maintain service delivery?
This short training course will help you begin to identify implications for KASS; both direct (e.g., the effect of heatwaves on vulnerable groups) and indirect (e.g., if a road floods, how would this disrupt your service?).
After you have completed the course, you will be asked to enter your ideas about impacts on KASS services.
Activity
- Please run through our short power point presentation to learn more (this is a large file and may take a short while to open)
- Please complete our form about potential impacts on KASS services
Key Facts
Switch it off
KCC spent £15 million on energy bills in 2007. If all staff switched off lights, computers, printers and copiers overnight and switched off monitors when away from their desk, we could reduce energy use by 5%. That’s £750,000 off the energy bill.
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
Wasted paper can be reduced by printing less, printing double-sided and re-using scrap paper. Recycling paper also reduces waste disposal costs. By reducing, re-using and recycling, staff at County Hall have saved KCC £15,000 in one year.
Think before you buy
Wasted paper can be reduced by printing less, printing double-sided and re-using scrap paper. Recycling paper also reduces waste disposal costs. By reducing, re-using and recycling, staff at County Hall have saved KCC £15,000 in one year.