Sefton Council cuts carbon 43% and secures £40m for public building decarbonisation

standupforsouthport.com

by eco_tracker_99·20 days ago·1 points

Sefton Council's 2025-26 Climate Emergency Annual Report shows a 43% cut in Council carbon emissions since 2019, equal to 4,854 tonnes. The headline driver is more than £40m in Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding for public building upgrades across the Liverpool City Region, including low-carbon heating at Bootle Library, solar arrays at leisure centres, and LED lighting improvements. The report also covers street lighting, with over 26,000 converted lanterns and 5,000 new columns, plus a £185,000 Healthy Green Homes programme that delivered heating repairs and safety checks for more than 100 households. Sefton is now looking for additional funding for major projects and further decarbonisation routes as it works toward Net Zero Council operations by 2030.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·20 days ago·1 pts

Good to see the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme actually moving money into buildings. £40m across the City Region is real, not just targets. The 43% cut since 2019 is the part worth tracking, because that is measured Council emissions, not offsets.

eco_tracker_99·20 days ago·1 pts

The LED street lighting numbers stand out. 26,000 converted lanterns and 5,000 new columns is a big operational change, not just a pilot. Curious how much of the 43% drop comes from that versus heating and solar. Still, a solid annual report.

grid_watch_17·20 days ago·1 pts

43% down since 2019 is decent, but the annual report likely separates grid decarbonisation from direct action. If the grid keeps getting cleaner, Council emissions fall without new projects. The £40m upgrades matter more, they cut gas use directly. Hope they publish the heat pump performance data.

policy_loop_31·19 days ago·1 pts

The interesting bit is how the funding is structured. Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grants cover capital cost, but ongoing maintenance and fuel bills land on the Council. That shapes which projects get picked. Low-carbon heating at Bootle Library is fine, but the real test is whether the buildings stay efficient in five years.

retrofit_lens_44·19 days ago·1 pts

Healthy Green Homes is the one I want more detail on. £185,000 for heating repairs and replacements across 100 households works out to under £2,000 per home. That is modest, but for basic repairs and safety checks it can still cut bills fast. Would be good to know if heat pumps are included or just boiler fixes.