|Elmbridge Sustainable Community Strategy 2006-2015
The Elmbridge Community Partnership worked with stakeholders to develop our Sustainable Community Strategy, which aims to improve quality of life in the Borough of Elmbridge. One of our aims for the Environment of Elmbridge in 2015 is that 'residents, businesses and all other organisations of Elmbridge have modified their behaviour to reduce the negative impact they have on the environment.'

|Sustainable Elmbridge Strategy
This strategy sets out the ways in which the Council is lessening the impact on our local environment, both as a large "consuming" organisation and through the services we offer to our residents and businesses.

|Elmbridge Nottingham Declaration Act
The Nottingham declaration act is a voluntary pledge for local authorities to address the issues of climate change. Elmbridge Borough Council signed this act on 28 September 2006 and is working towards a new Framework on Tackling Climate Change. By signing the Nottingham declaration act, we committed to work with central government to contribute, at a local level, to the delivery of the UK Climate Change Programme, the Kyoto Protocol and the target for carbon dioxide reduction by 2010.

The Energy Action Plan (part of the Nottingham Declaration Act):
The Council is in the process of producing an Energy Action Plan by mid 2008.

|Garden Waste ban
The Council has banned garden waste from going in refuse bins from 1 April 2007. This is because of the large amounts of methane (a powerful greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent than CO2) it produces when it rots without oxygen in a landfill site. Our Environmental Care Division provides a garden waste collection service and composting information to residents.

|Water conservation
We are working with you and our partners to save water in Elmbridge. Our 'Water Wisdom' pages have lots of water-saving ideas for everyone living and working in the Borough and beyond and give details of how the Council is working to reduce water wastage in our own properties.

|Flooding information
Our flooding section provides you with information on flood warnings, sandbags and ways to protect your home.

|Environmental Affairs Overview and Scrutiny Committee
The Council's Environmental Affairs Overview and Scrutiny Committee has 15 members. The Committee can review and scrutinise policy and decisions within the remit of the Environment and Economy, Highways and Transport and Regulatory Affairs Cabinet portfolios. The Committee also takes an active interest in issues beyond the direct remit of the Council, in particular on transport provision and use of natural resources, such as water and energy.

|Local Development Framework and Climate Change
Climate change is one of the key issues for the Borough and Town Planning has a crucial role in addressing it. To do this, work is underway to develop a detailed Core Strategy policy on climate change that will outline the approach the Borough intends to take. The first stage of this process is to identify the key Issues and Options for climate change and planning. To this end a climate change workshop was held on the 20th July 2007 with a host of organisations and stakeholders in attendance to help identify the key issues and options for the Borough with regard to climate change.

|The Energy Performance of Buildings (link to the Communities website)
The Energy Performance of Buildings will require Public Sector occupiers of larger buildings (>1000m2) to have a Display Energy Certificate by October 2008 and have in their possession a valid Advisory Report per building affected. This report will include recommendations to improve buildings energy performance. These reports will be available for the public. An energy consumption monitoring system is also being implemented at Elmbridge Borough Council's public buildings. For more information please contact Facilities Management.

Home Energy Conservation Act
In 2006-7, the |Housing division:

• Organised 4,205 Home Energy Check Reports for residents giving advice about measures signposting to a range of national and local grants.
• Continued the programme of Renovation, Home Repair and Disabled Facilities Grants that are awarded to eligible residents.
• Gave free and impartial energy efficiency advice to local residents.
• Held a Staff Energy Awareness Day organised with the local Energy Advice Centre.

What we are doing internally as an organisation:

• We recruited an Energy Officer in July 2007 to deal with energy use and management issues.
• We reduced our electricity consumption at the Civic Centre by 5% in the last financial year 2006- 07 (in comparison with the electricity consumed in 2005-06). This means a reduction of 31 tonnes of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere regarding electricity consumption.
• Energy Efficiency measures have been implemented this year in public buildings (low energy lamps in day centres and Civic Centre) to reduce electricity consumption and therefore CO2 emissions.
• We promoted Energy Saving Week on 22-26 October 2007 on our Intranet (and will support it every year) with the objective of encouraging employees to adopt small measures that will reduce energy consumption at the Civic Centre and therefore the Council's impact on the environment (for example switching computers off properly, photocopying on both sides, not leaving phone chargers plugged in etc...)
• Our employees have adopted 'Improving our Environment' as one of the organisation's ten shared values.
• We have set up a Bike User Group for employees who cycle to work.

Networks and energy groups
Elmbridge Borough Council is a member of several networks and energy groups, some examples are:

• Carbon Trust Local Authorities Network: this network facilitates the exchange of experience and information relating to energy issues and the sustainable use of energy to help support Local Authorities. The LA Network is based on the principal of learning and building upon what others have already done.
• Surrey Energy and Environment Group|Elmbridge Environmental Forum
• Surrey Climate Change Group