Reducing carbon footprints is an essential part of increasing efficiency across all public sector organisations. The public sector has a major role to play in fighting climate change. Not only can public bodies use less enegry - saving money in the process - but they can also encourage the public to change their behaviour.

The Climate Change Act 2008 has set a legally binding target of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990-2050. An interim target has been set of a 34% reduction from 1990-2020 and will increase to 42% if a significant international agreement is secured.

Experian can help the public sector increase its knowledge of energy consumption and develop policies to reduce carbon emissions.

Working in conjunction with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Experian has created the first UK-wide household level estimates of greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions. These quantify total carbon emissions by household along with the detailed components of personal and household carbon footprint allowing you to develop targeted measures for reducing CO2. This helps you:

• Quantify total levels of carbon emissions as UK, regional, local area and household to benchmark current performance

• Identify national, regional and local variations in emissions and analyse these in relation to citizen behaviour to assist with policy development and resource allocation

• Forecast and measure the impact of changes in energy consumption on households to understand future economic and environmental impact

• Create a set of effective policies and communication strategies to influence behaviour, save energy and reduce carbon emissions