APCC Environment and Sustainability Leads say Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are ‘at the heart of the decarbonisation agenda’ in the latest In Focus report published today, Tuesday 2 August.

Climate change is an important issue for the British public and this gives PCCs a strong mandate as the public’s voice to ensure that policing is striving to meet its challenges and taking the steps to mitigate the risks that it poses. 

Joint National Leads and Police and Crime Commissioners Joy Allen and Tim Passmore pledge their commitment to ensuring all commissioners play their full part in achieving the Net Zero ambition in the latest In Focus report on Environment and Sustainability. 

The report highlights the work that PCCs are doing up and down the country to reduce the carbon footprint in their force area and ensure a sustainable future.

Chiltern Transportation Consortium (CTC) consists of seven police forces including Thames Valley Police. This is an innovative and successful initiative offering forces the newest and most cost-effective fleet solutions. As a result, forces have access to the most efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. CTC is leading an electric vehicle charging point pilot scheme, which will provide 16 charging points for around 35 vehicles. This work is ongoing, with both electric vehicles and EV charging points rolling out across Thames Valley Police in the coming months.

Matthew Barber, PCC for Thames Valley said: “Part of our aim to provide the most cost-effective and efficient fleet service is to look at how we can utilise new technologies and reduce our environmental impact. The learning we gain from the EV pilot programme will, I hope, help us work towards a more sustainable future where we can take advantage of renewable energy and reduce our emmissions.”

APCC Joint Leads on Environment and Sustainability, Joy Allen and Tim Passmore, said: “PCCs have a critical role to play in ensuring that their forces, commissioned services, and offices are employing environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. 

“If we do not act now, the implications for policing could include growing protest movements, more civil emergencies (such as flooding), a rise in Organised Crime Groups taking advantage of demand for resources and demand on the police to enforce new legislative restrictions against those causing environmental harm.” 

With the Government committed to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the College of Policing identifying climate change as one of the ten most significant challenges for policing over the next ten years, the APCC has joined forces with its policing partners at the National Police Chiefs Council and BlueLight Commercial, to deliver a policing decarbonisation programme, first launched in November 2021. 

Both Joy and Tim sit on the strategic Board that is overseeing this vital programme of work. The Board builds on the great work already happening across policing and helps to drive collaboration and accelerate progress across all forces, delivering a decarbonisation roadmap, setting standards and highlighting some of the best practices that are already happening within individual forces. 

BlueLight Commercial CEO, Lianne Deeming, said: “The last few years has really bought into focus the impact that human activity has had on our climate and the threat posed by climate change. 

“It is great to see that Police and Crime Commissioners are very much at the forefront of driving and embracing the significant changes that will be needed across policing to achieve a sustainable future, balancing economic, environmental, and social activity. 

“The sustainability programme will help to provide guidance and leadership to forces, develop partnerships and share best practise, measure collective improvements and act as an enabler and accelerator of change.” 

You can find out more about the programme here – Sustainability Decarbonisation Programme Launch (bluelightcommercial.police.uk) 

Download/view the Environment & Sustainability In Focus report