In 2019, St Albans City and District Council (SADC) declared a climate emergency and set an ambitious target to eliminate corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. As a council serving approximately 147,000 people and one of the largest employers in the district, SADC has committed to taking a leading role in sustainability at local, regional, and national levels. Since establishing a baseline emissions calculation in 2008/09, the council has reported its emissions annually. However, with limited staff resources available to conduct comprehensive GHG calculations and reporting, SADC sought external expertise to enhance its approach.
The Challenge
While SADC has been consistently measuring and reporting its carbon footprint since 2009, the process required significant staff resources. The council needed a solution that would streamline data processing, ensure accuracy, and provide insightful analysis without overburdening internal teams.
SADC faced several challenges in undertaking GHG calculations and reporting. Limited staff resources made it difficult to allocate the necessary time and expertise to accurately measure and report emissions. To ensure data accuracy and reliability, the Council sought external validation and support in identifying anomalies. Additionally, addressing complex issues such as market-based emissions presents further difficulties, requiring a deep understanding of emission factors, regulatory frameworks, and evolving reporting methodologies.
The Positive Planet Solution
In 2024, SADC partnered with Positive Planet, a sustainability consultancy, to improve its emissions reporting process. Positive Planet worked closely with SADC’s Sustainability Projects Officer, Candice Luper, to streamline emissions calculations and reporting. The approach included:
- Organising and analysing data from SADC related to Scope 1 (mobile and stationary combustion), Scope 2 (purchased electricity), and Scope 3 (contractor energy use, business travel, and homeworking). Learn more about scope categories here.
- Processing the data and integrating it into SADC’s existing GHG calculator
- Identifying and reporting any data anomalies or historical inconsistencies
- Creating a bespoke emissions report aligned with SADC’s existing reporting formats while incorporating improvements for better clarity and insight
Instead of requiring SADC to input data into Positive Planet’s templates, the consultancy adapted to the council’s existing methodology and tools, ensuring consistency and ease of use. The collaboration provided a seamless and efficient way to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of SADC’s emissions reporting.
“Positive Planet did an amazing job helping us with our greenhouse gas emissions calculations, analysis and reporting. I’ve been doing this work in-house for many years but as my role changed, I found my capacity to undertake this exercise was limited. I highly recommend Positive Planet. I found them to be highly knowledgeable, flexible, responsive and the reports they produced are excellent.”
Candice Luper, Sustainability Projects Officer, St Albans
The Benefits
The partnership between SADC and Positive Planet delivered several key benefits. By streamlining GHG calculations and reporting, SADC has been able to improve time efficiency, allowing staff to focus on other sustainability initiatives and strategic priorities. A customised approach ensured that the Council’s preferred calculation methodology was followed, maintaining continuity in reporting. Expert insights played a key role in problem-solving, particularly in addressing complex sustainability challenges. Additionally, by identifying and correcting data anomalies, the accuracy and reliability of the Council’s emissions reporting were significantly enhanced.
Future Plans
Following a successful collaboration, SADC hopes to continue working with Positive Planet in the future. The council anticipates reconnecting around April 2025 to further refine its sustainability strategy and emissions reporting processes.
By leveraging Positive Planet’s expertise, St Albans City and District Council has strengthened its commitment to climate action, ensuring a more accurate and effective approach to emissions management. This partnership serves as a model for other local authorities seeking to balance sustainability goals with operational efficiency.
