Essex County Fire & Rescue Service sought a decarbonisation strategy and approach to achieve net zero while achieving financial savings.
Due to the essential nature of the services ECFRS provide they must remain fully responsive and operational 24/7. ECFRS needed a decarbonisation strategy that would balance both environmental responsibility and operational efficiency to ensure public safety and long-term sustainability.
After LASER had identified the current position for ECFRS by generating a carbon footprint, a BAU forecast was produced to show the Service what their emissions would look like if no further action was taken. A year-on-year comparison was also undertaken to show the Service how emissions had changed and to understand the drivers behind this, such as changes in consumption and emissions factors. It was identified that emissions associated with gas made up a significant proportion of their carbon footprint, with emissions associated with electricity and fuel use for their fleet being the second and third largest.
LASER then held an Options Appraisal Workshop with ECFRS to review past, current, and proposed projects, and to agree on a set of actions to help reduce emissions, which also took into consideration the nature of the Service and their commitments to the public.
Two pathways were generated for ECFRS to demonstrate how their journey to net zero would look if the agreed upon set of actions were implemented. These pathways helped ECFRS to visualise both the emissions and financial trajectory, and included details of the project investment, ongoing cost, potential savings, and the overall financial impact. The findings were consolidated into a detailed report, which included the key insights and the recommended next steps.
In 2024, the Service returned to LASER for an annual review of their Roadmap to understand how they were progressing on their journey. The above process was carried out, alongside the production of desktop solar designs for 3 of their sites to give an understanding of the potential for installations and the associated carbon savings and financial benefits.
High Action Pathway
18,600 tCO2e
14,330 tCO2e
2085 tCO2e
Key headlines by 2050:
96% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 was seen when compared to the baseline
Potential offsetting costs were reduced from a total of £4.7m to £180k.
Although initial investment costs were high to reach net zero, the net financial position by 2050 was £3.2m
Ground mounted solar designs showed the potential to generate 496,000 kWh a year, resulting in annual savings of £159k
£3.8m
£2.7m
£3.91m
With LASER’s support, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service now has a clear, actionable strategy to reduce carbon emissions, aligning with national decarbonisation targets while maintaining critical services. The Net Zero Roadmap will guide ECFRS in prioritising and implementing initiatives that reduce their carbon emissions and generate a positive cash flow.
LASER remains committed to supporting ECFRS on their journey, with our dedicated account managers who will regularly check in to offer ongoing support with our roadmap service. We can carry out progressions of the plan by adding a further level of detail by performing a desktop assessment for specific buildings in their portfolio or by undertaking site surveys for other selected sites. LASER can also support with progress monitoring of projects, understanding reductions and remaining emissions, and updating and evolving the Service’s strategy.
On Wednesday 2nd July, we were thrilled to head over to the University of Greenwich, Medway campus to take part in The Green STEM Showcase launched by Social Enterprise Kent (SEK). Join us, as we journey through the event.
How Essex County Fire & Rescue developed its net zero roadmap to meet carbon reduction targets while achieving financial savings.
LASER and nPower Business Solutions (nBS) came together in 2024 to develop a Social Value plan as part of the 2024 – 2028 Electricity Flexible Procurement and Supply Framework. Helping food banks was at the top of the list. Read all about the food banks nominated and the difference the funding has made.