At our latest public talk, Emily Fox, of the Peak Park Authority, spoke to us about reducing carbon emissions in the peak park. This is one of their strategic aims, and they have achieved a 25% reduction in relation to their own operations since 2009, and they are aiming for 30% by 2017. Contributions to this have come from :
- Insulating, and installing a biomass (wood pellet) central heating boiler at Aldern House in Bakewell – their headquarters.
- Insulating and installing sustainable energy generation at other properties – for example they are in the process of installing a ground-source heat pump at their Edale Visitor Centre.
- Encouraging staff to car-share, and travel by public transport where possible.
- Reducing travel to meetings by using online communications technology.
More details are in her slides – climate-change-in-the-peak-district-national-park
She also talked about encouraging others in the Park to develop sustainability, particularly through their planning function – more info here.
Finally, an important aspect is land use, including farming practice. The restoration of moorlands and peat bogs, through the Moors for the future project, is important for keeping carbon locked up.