FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Veolia’s commitment to supporting Dover District Council to achieve its objective of carbon net zero by 2030 has made a positive start.
A decrease in carbon emissions has been achieved in Dover as part of the new environmental services contract with resource management company, Veolia.
The carbon footprint of electricity, gas and fuel consumed by Dover’s recycling, waste and street cleansing operations has dropped by 7.5 per cent when comparing 2022 to 2020. Specifically, consumption was reduced by 10.5 per cent for electricity, 10.2 per cent for gas and 7.5 for fuel for fuel.
Veolia has been providing waste and recycling collections, food waste, and street cleaning in the Folkestone & Hythe and Dover areas since 2011 and was awarded an eight-year contract in January 2021. Since the start of the new contract, Veolia has implemented a number of carbon reduction initiatives. This has included launching a new green fleet of vehicles and electric sweepers, and redesigned collection routes to minimise travel times. Other measures include smart LED lighting, vehicles with new electric bin lifts and an anti-idling campaign.
Veolia will continue to drive ecological transformation through its operations in Dover by minimising fuel use and finding new and innovative approaches to reducing emissions such as behaviour change initiatives and energy efficiencies.
David Fitzgerald, General Manager – Municipal South East at Veolia said: “These positive results demonstrate Veolia’s commitment to supporting our partner Dover District Council in achieving net zero carbon emissions. The carbon footprint reduction will have a positive impact on the environment as well as local communities and we will continue to invest in methods and technologies that create a better and more sustainable future for all.”
Cllr Nicholas Kenton, DDC Cabinet Member for Environment said: “We are very pleased that Veolia’s decarbonisation measures, which this council stipulated as part of the contract, seem to be paying off. We are fully committed to our net zero carbon emissions target and it’s great news that Veolia is supporting us in this way.”
With the current economic crisis resulting in higher prices and more of a squeeze on resources, FMs need to ensure that they have robust building and maintenance services in place to control costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs. When it comes to drainage and plumbing there are also the challenges of dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding, the need to meet stringent regulations and to avoid causing environmental damage.
UK drainage specialist, Metro Rod, has launched a survey which explores the main areas of interest for FMs in maintaining drainage and plumbing, including how they currently assess their supply chains to ensure they’re working with partners that meet the highest possible standards and provide value for money.
The results will be published online so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
To take part click here.
