February 2007
Hot air – and what to do about it – is on the agenda for local authority delegates from across the country when they gather in Wigan next week (Wednesday, 14th February).
Councils nationwide want to slash energy costs and cut carbon pollution in response to rising fuel prices and global warming.
In this archetypal Industrial Revolution town, energy managers will be discussing how to cut carbon emissions – a damaging side-effect of that same revolution.

The half-day event – billed ‘Carbon Management – The Second Industrial Revolution’ – aims to promote ‘best practice’ in energy and carbon management. Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) will be represented, alongside the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) and Salix, a company working with public sector organisations to reduce carbon emissions. Guest speaker will be ‘Carbon’ Kim Williams from North Yorkshire County Council – local government’s first carbon reduction manager.

Hosts Wigan Council recently announced a five year carbon management plan which could save up to £10million and halve projected CO2 emissions by 2011.

‘Carbon Management – The Second Industrial Revolution’ is being sponsored by ‘powerPerfector’, the company whose Voltage Optimisation Unit (VOU) is currently being trialled by many local authorities and businesses to reduce their premises’ electricity usage.

Cllr David Molyneux, Wigan Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment says:
“The irony of an event like this taking place in the North-west of England – the cradle of the Industrial Revolution – isn’t lost on us, but councils are now at the forefront of the fight against climate change and we have a duty to act. “We don’t make any claims at Wigan to be ahead of the field, but if this event spreads the word and inspires others to act then it will be judged a success. Everybody in local government knows that we are faced with escalating energy prices and fuel bills we simply cannot afford.”

 

Editors Notes on this event
For more information, please contact Steve Flyn, Energy Manager, on 01942 705516.
ESTA is the UK’s leading Energy Management industry association and focuses on demand-side energy management and efficiency across all sectors – industrial, commercial, public, domestic and transport.
Visit www.esta.org.uk for more information.