- Has the coronavirus pandemic inadvertently delivered a ‘green silver lining’?
- Temporary changes in work practices, necessary during lockdown, may become permanent and provide an unexpected dividend to the environment
- Fewer car journeys to work and meetings are recognised as ways of saving energy
- Adding more electric cars to the Constabulary’s fleet will cut air pollution
- Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl said, Surl said, “There is no legal requirement for the Constabulary to adopt a more sustainable approach, but circumstances have given us the opportunity to review the way we work.
New methods of working, brought about by the pandemic, is reinforcing Gloucestershire’s reputation as the ‘greenest’ constabulary in the country.
Increased working from home, less printing and online technology replacing the need to travel miles to meetings are all recognised now as ways of saving energy.
They are measures that will feature prominently in the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Martin Surl’s new look Police and Crime Plan.
The blueprint for how he wants the Constabulary to operate is close to being completed and will be available later in the year.
Mr. Surl said, “There is no legal requirement for the Constabulary to adopt a more sustainable approach, but circumstances have given us the opportunity to review the way we work.
“It has always been one of my priorities, and current circumstances show how my office and the Constabulary can always do more to reduce our carbon footprint”.
Nowhere is the Constabulary’s commitment to cutting air pollution more evident than in its switch from more traditional petrol and diesel engines to cars powered by electricity.
Already, more than 20% of the Constabulary’s fleet is electric with a target of 40% over the course of the next four years. This figure includes a combination of vans and non-response cars and ensures its fleet is, in percentage terms, more electric than any other force in the UK.
Three recently acquired Tesla model 3 electric cars will help to provide cleaner air by cutting carbon dioxide levels. With a range of 280 miles, it is estimated they will deliver savings of 190 tonnes Co2 per year, as well as providing better economy and reducing fuel and service charges.
The PCC described it as “A visible demonstration of the Constabulary’s commitment to the section in the Police and Crime Plan dedicated to making Gloucestershire an even more green and pleasant county.
“The new vehicles cost the same as equivalent non-electric alternatives and will be charged at points which were already installed in the car park at Police Headquarters at Waterwells.
“As the technology improves, it seems more than ever the right thing to do”, said Mr. Surl.
Meanwhile, Gloucestershire remains the only police force in the country to hold environmental certification ISO 14001, the international standard for environment management systems. That it has received the award four times in a row is a sign of its ongoing commitment in the face of the operational challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
