It was late in 2021, when HCC decided to join an environmental initiative led by Harrogate Borough Council to learn more about sustainability.
“It highlighted some of the areas we were struggling with. I decided that I needed to get some training and so I took a sustainability course hosted by Reset Connectand Green Circle Solutions were facilitating the workshop which is how we met,” he explained.
“With my wide-ranging responsibilities I knew I could not dedicate enough time to make a significant difference to this important subject,” said Andy. “Combining this with feedback on what our customers were looking for, I put together a bid for a consultant to help us,” he said.
GCS was chosen because of their extensive experience in the industry and track record with other venues.
The first step was to conduct a staff travel survey using the Green Circle Solutions Staff Travel Carbon Calculator which helps measure emissions from commuting, business trips by air, rail, or car, and other forms of travel. It is easy and quick for employees to use and drives engagement as well as further evidence a commitment to sustainability.
“We were keen to survey the staff with a view to potentially providing this service to customers in the future,” said Ian Kidson.
GCS then helped the team create the organisation’s first carbon footprint calculation and sustainability report with a carbon reduction plan, in line with Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) and The Theatre Green Book.
The carbon footprint report revealed a few surprises. “We had thought that the report would show we just needed to reduce energy consumption,” said Ian. “In fact, it was the food waste that surprised us.” The catering team has now been introduced to a local foodbank and hopes to put leftover food to good use.
The HCC Sustainability Plan, which GCS developed, aligns closely with the North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy (NYCCCS) under whose jurisdiction HCC sits, and its three priorities are mitigation, adaptation and supporting nature.
HCC has set strategies for emissions reductions, including energy as its consumption is acknowledged as being one of the largest in the Council’s building portfolio.
In working towards the NYCCC goal to be a net negative carbon region by 2040, HCC intends to identify long term links to projects that will neutralise its emissions footprint such as nature related carbon mitigation projects, and diversity net gain projects, locally. Whether by “offsetting” vehicle emissions or event emissions via local projects, communication will be a key element, which in turn can promote Visit North Yorkshire and wider tourism initiatives.
Whilst North Yorkshire Council reviews HCC’s sustainability plan, the team is not standing still. A green group has been established with representatives from all departments to develop ideas on how to be more environmentally friendly and all employees are encouraged to submit suggestions. “We are taking people on a journey,” said Andy.
The HCC technical team has introduced recycling boxes for batteries at events and the increasingly efficient heating system saves the atmosphere from 1,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. It is not just the newest spaces that feature green technology, the Edwardian Royal Hall theatre boasts a Grade A Display Energy Certificate, and LED lighting is now installed in most of the event spaces and car parks, providing an impressive 80% energy savings rate.
To enhance waste management efforts, HCC has recently added eye-catching branded recycling stations throughout the venue for delegate use.
“Our visitors did not believe that 96% of rubbish was recycled as all the rubbish went into the same bins and was recycled by an outside contractor,” explained Andy. The new stations are designed to help delegates separate their waste into liquids, glass, cups, mixed recycling, and general waste, which effectively reduces contamination and boosts recycling rate.
So, what is next for HCC?
“Sustainability is such a big subject, and it runs across all the teams at the venue and more broadly into the council. GCS helped us frame the whole subject and relate everything back to us as an event venue. They have been the project expert on this journey. We could have easily been overwhelmed and floundered around month in, month out, not being able to pull it all together, but GCS helped us focus on specific tasks. The most important thing was getting a line in the sand with the carbon footprint. Until you know your starting point, you cannot measure if the things that you are doing are making a difference; data is king. We all need to keep exploring, learning, and expanding our knowledge,” said Ian.
