Dozens of councils that have declared a “climate emergency” are facing claims of hypocrisy after increasing their energy consumption last year.
Freedom of information requests to every council in the country show that one in three, 121 in total, used more gas or electricity in the year to April than over the previous 12 months, and 55 councils increased consumption of both.
In total, 47 of these 55 councils have declared a climate emergency, committing themselves to urgent action to combat global warming.
Oldham council in Greater Manchester, for example, declared a climate emergency in 2019. A document published on its website in 2023, describes climate change as a “crisis” and “one of the biggest risks faced by mankind”. It says: “We must do everything within our power, and more, to transition to sustainable modes of living and dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible.”
However, last year, the council increased its electricity consumption by 28.8 per cent and its gas consumption by 0.35 per cent. When it was asked to explain these increases it did not respond.
In London, Merton council declared a climate emergency in 2019. At the time, Tobin Byers, the council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “We know climate change will impact negatively on the wellbeing of residents and the local economy.
“We must take urgent action to reduce carbon emissions, to keep the temperature rise below 1.5 degrees centigrade, if we want to avoid the worst case scenarios extreme weather will bring.”
However, last year, the council increased its electricity consumption by 8.1 per cent and burnt through 6.4 per cent more gas.
In a statement, the council said: “As more council staff and tenant organisations return to the office, our building is busier. This impacts our energy usage, and modernisation is key to changing this. In 2023 we secured £3 million of national funding to install a new low-carbon heating system in Merton’s Civic Centre, which currently has an inefficient older system.
It added that its electricity was “100 per cent green” and that it had made “detailed plans to cut usage and emissions”, including the installation of solar panels, switching to LED lighting and transferring to a fleet of electric vehicles.
Other councils that have declared a climate emergency but increased both their gas and electricity consumption include Bath and North East Somerset, Cheshire West and Chester, Lincoln and Wakefield councils.
Lincoln also increased its power use despite declaring a climate emergency
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Almost all of the 55 councils have announced plans to go “carbon neutral” before the government plan for net zero emissions by 2050.
Corin Dalby, of Box Power, a not-for-profit energy consultancy that conducted the FOI requests, said: “It is eyebrow raising that so many councils that have declared a climate emergency have increased their energy consumption. Many have made grandiose statements about climate change and called on residents to do their bit yet they cannot seem to get their own house in order. While some may have legitimate explanations for why their energy consumption has increased, others seem to be saying one thing and doing another. It’s simply hypocrisy.”
Of the 55 councils that increased both their gas and electricity consumption, 31 were Labour controlled or Labour-led, nine were Conservative or Conservative-led and five were Lib Dem or Lib-Dem led. The remaining were independent or had no overall control.
The Times contacted 20 of the 55 councils to ask them to explain why their consumption had increased. Half did not reply. Four said that the information that they had originally declared in answer to the FOIs was either wrong, an inaccurate estimate or had been “miscommunicated”. Each of these councils gave revised figures that either showed lower consumption or no significant increase.
The six others blamed various factors, such as the introduction of electric car charging points, staff returning to offices and fluctuating demand.
Sunderland city council, for example, said: “Our energy consumption includes heating in grant-maintained schools and a network of family hubs, alongside council offices and depots, and like all energy users demand and usage can fluctuate over the year.
“However, we remain committed to reducing our carbon footprint and the long-term trend is downwards as we continue to improve and invest in saving and renewable energy.”
Bath and North East Somerset, Cheshire West and Chester, Lincoln and Wakefield councils all declined to comment.