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Our Carbon Footprint

If we want Rhondda Cynon Taf to become a carbon neutral Council, then we need to know what carbon emissions we are responsible for.

Please read here for information on the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Carbon Footprint 21/22. The previous carbon footprint calculations for the Council can be found here

The Council has also developed a Decarbonisation Plan 2023-25 providing a clear pathway and defined timescales to enable the Council to become Carbon Neutral by 2030.

The total amount of carbon emissions from the Council for the financial year 2021/22 has been estimated at 120,907.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions. You can see how we categorise and compare our carbon emissions with the baseline year, in the table below:

Sample Table
Emission CategoryTonnes CO2 2019/20 (Baseline Year)Emission CategoryTonnes CO2 2020/21% Change from Baseline YearEmission CategoryTonnes CO2 2021/22% Change from Baseline Year
Supply Chain 86,728.59 Supply Chain 82,205.83 -5.21% Supply Chain 81,676.97 -5.82%
Natural Gas 13,590.39 Natural Gas 10,869.16 -20.02% Natural Gas 14,346.60 5.56%
Electricity 7,775.94 Electricity 5,715.59 -26.50% Electricity 8,271.97 6.38%
Waste 4,444.99 Waste 3,530.70 -20.57% Waste 4,842.35 8.94%
Fleet & Equipment 3,750.39 Fleet & Equipment 3,420.78 -8.79% Fleet & Equipment 6,007.51 60.18%
Water 243.51 Water 216.76 -10.99% Water 112.01 -54%
Other Fuels (LPG) 9.38 Other Fuels (LPG) 48.78 420,04% Other Fuels (LPG) 87.68 834.75%
          Staff Travel & Home Working 5,562.37 N/A
Total: 116,543.2 Total: 106,007.6   Total: 120,907.4  

Our Work

The Council is putting climate change at the centre of what we do. We want to play our part to protect the planet and our County Borough from the effects of climate change both today and in the future. Our aim is that by 2030, we will be a carbon neutral Council. 

Some of our work so far includes:  

  • Investing £10,580,718 since 2009 in Carbon Reduction Projects such as lighting upgrades and solar panel installations, yielding a total carbon saving of approximately 5,800tCO2e.
  • Purchasing 100% of our electrical energy supply from renewable energy sources.
  • Converting all our streetlights, approx. 29,700 to LED or equivalent resulting in a 75% reduction in energy used since 2015/16.
  • Using heat energy from Taffs Well Thermal Spring replacing the electric heating system at the Pavilion building saving 2 tonnes of CO2e/yr and 20,380 kWh/yr electricity.
  • Using heat energy from Taffs Well Thermal Spring integrating with the existing electric heating system at Ffynnon Taf Primary School saving 15 tonnes of CO2e/yr and 152,705 kWh/yr gas.
  • Working in partnership with Wastesavers and TooGoodTooWaste* to put in place 6 reuse shops in Llantrisant, Treherbert, Treorchy, Ynyshir and two in Aberdare.
  • Installing 21 Hydrogen Fuel Cells in leisure centres, schools and offices.
  • Installing 115 Solar Panel arrays across schools and corporate buildings.
  • Installing EV charging points in over 31 locations across the County Borough. Find one close to you here.
  • Converting 22 Council Fleet combustion engine vehicles to Ultra Low Emission Vehicles as part of the ongoing Fleet Transition Plan, reducing the carbon emissions associated with the Council operations.
  • Removing 50 combustion engine vehicles from the Council’s Fleet operations, yielding financial and carbon savings. 
  • Planting 600 trees and 600 hedgerow saplings during the 2021/22.
  • Setting up 53 community food support projects across the County Borough redistributing surplus food

We are also:

  • Undertaking an assessment of Council Office buildings to identify energy saving opportunities and closing underutilised buildings to yield energy savings.
  • Developing a Decarbonisation Strategy and Action Plan, to drive progress in the carbon reduction of the Council’s operations to carbon neutral by 2030.
  • Further developing our internal carbon emissions monitoring dashboard.
  • Working with the third sector and the RCT Climate Action Network to map community projects and volunteering opportunities across the County Borough.
  • Developing a hydro electric scheme at Dare Valley Country Park with anticipated savings of 38.6 tonnes of CO2e/yr and generating 167,000 kWh/yr electricity.
  • Developing a hydro electric scheme at Treforest Weir with anticipated savings of 367.2 tonnes of CO2e/yr and generating 1,588,922 kWh/yr electricity.

And we plan to:

  • Undertake the largest tree planting programme in a generation. By planting a further 5,000 trees and 20,000 hedgerows over the coming years, with £100,000 committed to tree planting.

  • Open five zero carbon schools by 2024.

  • Ensure that all new housing developments will be carbon neutral by 2030, and our ambition is that from 2026 all new housing developments in RCT will be carbon neutral.

  • Continue to expand the provision of electric vehicle (EV) charging points so that by 2030, 90% of residents without access to EV charging at home, will be within one mile of a publicly accessible EV charging point.

  • Get the best out of our environment by looking after and investing in our greenspaces and specifically delivering natural carbon storage solutions across the County Borough to enhance air quality and reduce the impact of greenhouse gasses.

  • Develop a 6MW Solar Farm on an 84-acre former colliery spoil tip in Coed Ely totalling 14,684 solar panels and 56 inverters.

  • Introduce a potential further 30 high-head hydroelectric schemes across the County Borough after undergoing further investigation.

 

How Big Is Your Carbon Footprint?

Your carbon footprint measures how much you’re contributing to climate change. The bigger your footprint, the bigger your impact is on the planet through the planet-warming gases you’re emitting into the atmosphere.

Do you know what your carbon footprint is? How does it compare to the average UK or global citizen? Take the World Wide Fund for Nature Carbon Footprint Calculator quiz to find out.

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