Decarbonisation programme launched for policing
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), working in conjunction with BlueLight Commercial, have announced the launch of a decarbonisation programme for policing in England and Wales.
The programme will be overseen by a Sustainability Governance Board with representation from the APCC, NPCC, the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor and BlueLight Commercial.
The board’s focus will be on developing the roadmap across three key workstreams, to support local delivery by forces, these include: Sustainability Strategy and Policy, Decarbonising the Fleet (including Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure) and creating a more efficient and carbon neutral Estate.
Lianne Deeming, senior responsible officer for the Sustainability Governance Board, said: “The Paris Agreement in 2015, was to limit global warming to below 2°C, compared to pre-industrial levels, but as highlighted at COP26 this week, the window to keep within the 1.5-degree warming target is closing.
“Whilst progress has been made to reduce the carbon footprint of police forces in England and Wales the opportunity now is to accelerate the activity and ensure that a decarbonised fleet and estates are achieved in line with Government timescales. This will involve significant collaboration and investment in technological innovation, as well as an acceleration in the pace of change.”
A further statement issued on behalf of the board said: “We do not underestimate the challenges of the global climate change emergency and the impact this will have on how forces operate. Currently, 80 per cent of our fleet is diesel and we have fewer than 1,000 EV charging points in England and Wales. By 2030, the Government plans to end the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars; and we know a fully electric fleet would require over 8,000 charging stations to operate effectively. Some forces have already made significant progress in decarbonising their fleet but application across forces is inconsistent.
“The board will build on the great work already happening across policing and will help to drive collaboration and accelerate progress across all forces, delivering a decarbonisation roadmap, setting standards and highlighting some of the best practises that are already happening within individual forces.
“Alongside our existing work on social value with suppliers, we will be working in close collaboration with technology innovators to shape the environmental impact of policing and our supply chains.”
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