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Who measures the PIs & how?

Councils are expected to collect data for indicator NI 185 (CO2 reduction from local authority operations) and NI 188 (planning to adapt to climate change). DEFRA provides the data for NI 186 (CO2 emissions in the LA area). The data Hub will publish the indicator results for all local areas.

Indicator definitions

The Handbook of Definitions for National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships provides definitions for each performance indicator (PI), specifies who will collect the data, and the types of local authorities to which the PI will apply.

Definitions for the three climate change PIs are shown in the box below. Local authorities will be expected to monitor their performance against indicators NI 185 (CO2 reduction from own operations) and NI 188 (adapting to climate change), but Defra will provide data for NI 186 (CO2 emissions in the LA area).

Measuring the indicators

NI 185: This covers direct and indirect emissions from council operations. Direct emissions result from equipment and vehicles owned and controlled by the council. Indirect emissions result from services that the council has procured. The indicator includes schools but not social housing. DEFRA has published supplementary guidance and a spreadsheet tool for local authorities to use when calculating NI 185. The first obligatory reporting will cover CO2 emissions for the financial year April 2008 to March 2009 and must be reported to Defra by 31 July 2009.

All types of local authority must report on NI 185, but in two tier areas district councils report their emissions to the county council, which then submits a single consilidated report to Defra.

NI 186: Defra publish data tracking Emissions of carbon dioxide for local authority areas annually. The first set of data for the year 2006 was published in September 2008. At the same time 2005 data was published which is directly comparable to the 2006 statistics. Alongside the main dataset, Defra publish a data sub-set that is tailored to NI 186, which excludes certain categories of emissions. (See below). Information about how the figures are calculated is also available on Defra's website.

DEFRA commissioned a report from AEA to consider how NI 186 might be monitored. AEA recommended that the indicator should be composed of end user emissions from sectors and sources that can be influenced by actions by local authorities. The indicator therefore excludes direct carbon emissions from installations in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme because these emissions are solely affected by national policies. However, emissions from power generation and refining have been included on an end user basis. In addition, road transport emissions on motorways are also excluded. Although local authorities can have some influence over the travel choices of people living and working within their boundaries, the traffic on motorways is often involved in longer trips crossing authority boundaries.

NI 188: The indicator is intended to measure progress on assessing and managing climate risks and opportunities, and incorporating appropriate action into local authority and partner's strategic planning. Local authorities will be expected to report the level of preparedness they have reached against the 5 levels of performance, graded 0 to 4. The national indicators handbook gives examples of the processes, tools and evidence that could be used to reach the various levels but stresses that the list is not exhaustive and that any appropriate methodology can be used.

Advice for local authorities on how to measure their progress against the NI 188 levels is expected early in 2009.

Using the indicators to develop a Climate Change Action Plan

See further information on how to use the indicators when developing a Climate Change Action Plan and if / how to backdate the data for NI 185 here and for NI 186 here.

Resources

The DEFRA web pages on the Local Government Performance Framework which includes pages on each of the climate change indicators.
The data Hub where data for all the national indicators is held and performance by difference local areas can be compared.

INDICATOR DEFINITIONS (All 3 indictors apply to all councils.)

Number & Name

Reporting organisation and indicator definition

NI 185

CO2 reduction from Local Authority operations

Reporting organisation: All local authorities, but see comments above.

Definition: Percentage CO2 reduction from LA operations

The indicator being assessed will be a year on year measured reduction of CO2 emissions. First year data to be reported in 2009, will be for Jan-Dec 2008.

CO2 emissions: is the total amount of direct and indirect CO2 emitted as a result of LA operations.

Direct emissions are emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the local authority e.g. emissions from the combustion in owned or controlled boilers and vehicles.

Indirect emissions are emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the local authority, but occur at sources owned or controlled by another entity e.g. emissions from consumption of purchased electricity or heat, transport related activities in vehicles not owned or controlled by the local authority and outsourced activities.

LA Operations: The delivery of the relevant functions of a Local Authority which result (either directly or indirectly) in the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere.

The functions of an authority cover all their own operations and outsourced services. Even if the services are being provided by an external body (e.g. a private company) they remain the function of the authority. This is to include schools, but exclude social housing.

NI 186

Per capita reduction in CO2 emissions in the LA area

Reporting organisation: Defra.

Definition: Percentage reduction of the per capita CO2 emissions in the Local Authority Area

The indicator comprises an annual amount of end user CO2 emissions across an agreed set of sectors (housing, road transport and business) measured as a percentage reduction (or increase) of the per capita CO2 emission from the 2005 baseline year.

End user: calculations allocate emissions from fuel producers to fuel users. The end user calculation therefore allows estimates to be made of emissions for a consumer of fuel, which also include the emissions from producing the fuel the consumer has used.

Domestic Housing: All housing in the local authority area, including Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMOs), privately owned and leased housing.

Business: Industry and commercial emissions, including public sector, but not those included in the EU Emissions trading scheme.

Road Traffic: All road traffic, (but excluding motorways).

NI 188

Planning to adapt to climate change

Reporting organisation: Local authority.

Definition: The level of preparedness local authorities have reached against the 5 levels of performance, graded 0 to 4. The higher the number, the better the performance.

The criteria for achievement of each of the levels are detailed below.

Level 0: Baseline:

The Authority has begun the process of assessing the potential threats and opportunities across its estate and services (for example, flood and coastal resilience plans, emergency planning, community risk registers/strategies etc) and has identified and agreed the next steps to build on that assessment in a systematic and coordinated way.

Examples of evidence:

The Authority has identified a lead official to identify and provide advice to service/department heads on potential impacts of future climate change on its functions

The Authority has undertaken an audit of existing relevant risk registers and action plans in place (eg community risk register)

The Authority has established a process for actions it needs to take to meet higher levels

Level 1:Public commitment and prioritised risk-based assessment:

The Authority has made a public commitment to identify and manage climate related risk. It has undertaken a local risk-based assessment of significant vulnerabilities and opportunities to weather and climate, both now and in the future. It can demonstrate a sound understanding of those not yet addressed in existing strategies and actions (e.g. in land use planning documents, service delivery plans, flood and coastal resilience plans, emergency planning, community risk registers/strategies etc). It has communicated these potential vulnerabilities and opportunities to department/service heads and other local partners and has set out the next steps in addressing them.

Level 2:Comprehensive risk-based assessment and prioritised action in some areas:

The Authority has undertaken a comprehensive risk based assessment of vulnerabilities to weather and climate, both now and in the future, and has identified priority risks for its services. It has identified the most effective adaptive responses and has started incorporating these in council strategies, plans, partnerships and operations (such as planning, flood management, economic development, social care, services for children, transport etc). It has begun implementing appropriate adaptive responses in some priority areas. In its role as a community leader the council has started working with its LSP encouraging identification of major weather and climate vulnerabilities and opportunities that affect the delivery of the LSP's objectives.

Level 3: Comprehensive action plan and prioritised action in all priority areas:

The Authority has embedded climate impacts and risks across council decision making. It has developed a comprehensive adaptation action plan to deliver the necessary steps to achieve the existing objectives set out in council strategies, plans, investment decisions and partnership arrangements in light of projected climate change and is implementing appropriate adaptive responses in all priority areas. This includes leadership and support for LSPs in taking a risk based approach to managing major weather and climate vulnerabilities/opportunities across the wider local authority area.

Level 4:Implementation, monitoring and continuous review: The Authority and LSP are implementing the comprehensive adaptation action plan across the local authority area, and there is a robust process for regular and continual monitoring and review to ensure progress with each measure and updating of objectives. The Authority and LSP are taking appropriate adaptive responses.

Examples of the evidence that might be provided for each level are given in the Handbook of Definitions for National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships