Wandsworth Council powers ahead on path to carbon neutrality

Wandsworth Council has made positive progress towards its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Through a series of decarbonisation projects at buildings and facilities across the borough, the council is enhancing energy efficiency, reducing consumption, and cutting carbon emissions.

The council has implemented various initiatives to upgrade heating and control systems, improve insulation, and install advanced building management systems.

One notable project at the Wandle Recreation Centre involves decommissioning existing gas-fired boilers and the installation of Air Source Heat Pumps and an Air Handling Unit. This project, funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Programme with contributions from the council’s decarbonisation fund has a total cost of £674,603 and was completed in April 2024. The improvements are expected to result in an estimated annual kWh reduction of 12%, translating to carbon savings of 9 tCO2e per annum.

At the Yvonne Carr Family Hub, the council has also decommissioned existing gas-fired boilers and installed an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) and LED lights, with upgraded pipework and radiators throughout the building. This project, funded by the council’s decarbonisation funds, has a total cost of £435,000 and was completed in February of this year. These upgrades are expected to lead to an estimated annual kWh reduction of 50%, resulting in carbon savings of 16 tCO2e per annum.

Cllr Gasser, Wandsworth’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, commented on the council’s progress:

“These projects to upgrade council buildings and facilities represent a significant step forward in our journey to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. We have a very ambitious target for our whole borough to be net zero by 2043, which will need all our residents, public sector partners, voluntary organisations and businesses to do what they can.”

Two other examples of recent decarbonisation projects are at the Roehampton Sport Centre and at Fircroft Primary School in Tooting Bec. An Air Source Heat Pump was installed at the sports centre along with an upgrade to the radiators and power cabling enhancements. This project, funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, has a total cost of £478,843 and was completed in September 2023.

At Fircroft, the council also installed an Air Source Heat Pump, implemented lighting controls, and replaced the roof with added insulation. Also funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, this project cost £436,254 and was completed in October of last year.

Wandsworth has an ambition to become a carbon neutral borough by 2030.

Find out more about work to tackle the climate emergency at wandsworth.gov.uk/climate-change 

And sign up to our newsletter to find out what else Wandsworth is doing to tackle climate change: https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/campaigns/climatenews/