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In order for the county to transition to net-zero we will need to create a zero-carbon economy here in Dorset. This means that emissions from the Dorset’s commercial and industrial sector will need to be eliminated whilst making sure the county’s economy still thrives
Dorset Council cannot singlehandedly eliminate these emissions, but it can work with partners, influence services, and develop existing programmes to drive the step-change needed to transition to a zero-carbon-economy in Dorset.
After detailed evidence and information gathering exercises, led by the EAP and carried out by officer working groups, it has been recommended that the Council implement the following 16 actions in relation to Economy.
Milestones have been identified for each action. This plan shows the immediate targets we will need to achieve by 2023 to keep us on track.
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Maximise opportunities for clean growth in Dorset and encourage investment in green jobs and business |
Direct, indirect and partnership/influence | Medium | Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | Medium |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Support greater deployment and strengthen high-speed broadband/ ICT infrastructure in Dorset to enable business to utilise greater home working, reduce travel and facilitate innovation and collaboration | Indirect | High | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Current contract & voucher delivery |
Engage with government in defining local gigabit strategy and delivery plan for 100% gigabit-capable coverage by 2026 | Partnership/influence | High | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Define interim targets by Dec 2021 |
Work with DLEP to ensure clean growth at the centre of Dorset’s local industrial strategy | Partnership/influence | Medium | Builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Clean growth key theme of Local Industrial Strategy |
Ensure clean growth is included within the DLEP investment prospectus & low carbon projects are developed in readiness for any future funding/investment |
Partnership/influence | Medium | Encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Initial project |
Investigate building renewable energy infrastructure at Dorset Innovation Park | Indirect | Low | Builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability | Low | Feasibility study |
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Maximise opportunities for clean growth in Dorset and encourage investment in green jobs and business | Direct, indirect and partnership/influence | Medium | Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | Medium |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Investigate opportunities building renewable energy infrastructure and retro fitting on council employment land & premises (industrial estates/hotels etc) | Direct | Medium | Builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, | Low |
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Develop the Dorset Innovation Park to become a centre of excellence in clean growth by encouraging low carbon business into the area, facilitating research and development and ensuring best practice low carbon buildings. | Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | Low |
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Promote the low carbon and renewable energy economy in Dorset and encourage investment to create high quality and skilled jobs and businesses in this sector. |
Indirect | Medium | Encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | Medium | Plan developed to optimise opportunities |
Work with partners to attract inward investment in green sector businesses with highly skilled workforces. |
Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Plan developed and delivered from |
Work with partners to support the provision of local training for green skills |
Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Future action beyond 2023 |
Use potential COVID-19 recovery funds to provide investment in low-carbon technologies for key sectors | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability | None | Bids submitted for any funds available by 2023 |
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Turning Dorset into a Low Carbon tourist destination |
Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability | None |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Work with the tourism sector to develop specific programmes of support for sustainable tourism & make Dorset a low-carbon tourism destination | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability | None | Discussions held with partners and forum created & plan |
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Increase resilience of our local economy |
Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Help businesses to be more resilient to climate change through our planning and flood risk management functions | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Vulnerable businesses identified & information disseminated by 2023 |
Working with partners to encourage greater understanding of the risks of climate change for the economy and best practice for business. | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Key risks identified & communicated to businesses by 2023 |
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Support Dorset businesses to become more energy and resource efficient and to install renewable energy |
Indirect, partnership/influence | Medium | Encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Support businesses to become more energy and resource efficient and to install renewable energy by working with partners to expand Low Carbon Dorset programme |
Indirect | Medium | Encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Low Carbon Dorset delivered by Mar 2023 & future delivery model developed |
Actively promote best practice case studies and target key organisations who could benefit most from low carbon technologies in partnership with the LEP and business sector organisations | Partnership/influence | Medium | Encourages economic sustainability | None | Case studies created & information disseminated from 2020 (10 case studies each year) |