According to research by Schneider Electric, two-thirds of local authorities in England remain unsure if they will achieve net-zero by 2050, despite making progress with retrofitting buildings, adopting renewable energy and electrifying infrastructure.
The data from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to 199 local authorities found budget constraints remain a significant barrier for 79% of local authorities, with over a third (37%) reporting technology as an issue, and a third (33%) citing skills shortages and insufficient knowledge as obstacles.
Finance: The key barrier to decarbonisation
Eighty-nine per cent of the local authorities who returned FOI requests have received government or private funding for decarbonisation or energy efficiency initiatives in the past three years. Funding, nevertheless, remains a challenge.
Alice Williams, Schneider Electric's VP Digital Energy, UK&I, tells FM Magazine: "Local authorities have a vital part to play in meeting our national net-zero targets and our research shows they are making significant progress.
"But they cannot do it alone - There is an urgent need for continued investment and support to ensure they can hit their targets, delivering a sustainable future for their communities whilst at the same time reaping the financial rewards that energy efficiency brings at a time when budgets are tight."
Summary of initiatives driving the charge to net-zero
Local authorities across England are advancing towards their net-zero goals by retrofitting buildings, embracing renewable energy, and electrifying infrastructure in their efforts to meet net zero targets. According to the FOI data:
- The vast majority (95%) have retrofitted existing buildings to improve energy efficiency
- 83% have electrified infrastructure such as EV charging points, buildings and heating systems
- 82% have invested in renewable technologies to decarbonise
- 61% are measuring real-time energy usage and performance metrics to identify where costs can be reduced and efficiencies gained
