Useful Projects was appointed by Connected Place Catapult to develop a framework and proof of concept tool to help local authorities in their transition to net zero, named the Net Zero Navigator Tool.
Developed with the input of more than 40 local authorities in the UK, the strategic planning Tool provides local authorities with an overview of their local place characteristics and current performance, looking at buildings, energy systems, transport, and local capacity. It also assesses an authority’s zero carbon organisational maturity. Based on these assessments, the Tool provides a selection of strategic and enabling interventions to help local authorities accelerate the development of their carbon strategy.
Navigator benefits
While there are lots of tools and resources available, this Navigator:
- Recognises that each local area is different, but there are meaningful commonalities which can be identified (e.g.in the potential of an area for different forms of renewables, or the spatial characteristics which suggest particular transport interventions). This Tool helps local authorities identify councils with shared characteristics and challenges to learn from and support each other.
- As well as considering the sources of emissions in a local area to suggest actions, it allows users to select co-benefits (e.g. jobs and health) which are most important, and considers the impact of interventions. These can then be used to support the case for emissions reducing interventions.
- Sign-posts users to a huge range of specialist resources, suppliers, tools, and funding to help them refine plans.
We collaborated with our sister brand, Expedition Engineering and Space Syntax to develop the content of the Net Zero Navigator Tool, with the support of the Carbon Disclosure Project. Wethen worked with One Planet to create the final online tool.
Find out more at Catapult’s website, here.
