Council's greenhouse gas emissions rise as workers go back to office

Lincolnshire County Council’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen as more staff have ditched home working in favour of going back into the office. Emissions of the gases which speed up global warming rose by 4.4 per cent in 2023/24 due to more staff travelling for business and commuting to work once again.

A report by the council says emissions aren’t falling quickly enough to meet its goal of being Net Zero by 2050. Even if travel isn't counted, emissions from council buildings and vehicles have plateaued rather than fallen.

It adds that most of the ‘quick wins’ in reducing emissions have been already been done, and the next steps will likely be difficult and costly. Greenhouse gases are emissions like carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat in the earth's atmosphere, preventing it from escaping.

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“The rise [in emissions] is due to a return to more ‘usual’ working patterns since the coronavirus pandemic; business mileage has increased, and emissions related to staff commuting have risen as employees are travelling into the various office locations more frequently,” the council's report says. The overall number of council employees has also increased as services have been brought back in-house.

The total amount of carbon dioxide emissions rose from around 18,000 tonnes in 2022/23 to just over 19,000 last year. The council's website says it supports employees choosing whether to work in the office or at home when possible.

The council says it has a carbon management plan in place, with the goal of cutting emissions by a quarter by 2030. It will spend £250,000 next year replacing lights in council buildings with cheaper LEDs, and has plans to convert the remaining 30 per cent of street lights.

It is also looking at ways of reducing business travel. However, the report warns that after a decade of rapid cuts in carbon emissions, it may be difficult and costly to make future progress.

Carbon-saving strategies like swapping gas boilers for heat pumps can increase running costs in the short term, and it is also more costly to make older buildings Net Zero-compliant.