Glasgow City Council's Budget Day 2015

Green Councillors have identified budgetary savings and income opportunities through additional investment in energy efficiency initiatives and income generating renewable energy projects.

Green plans would commit the Council to further cuts in its energy costs as well as ensuring it plays its part in meeting the challenges of climate change by taking action to reduce its carbon footprint.

We are pushing for sensible local investment to generate income and energy from wind and hydro, both to cushion the Council from further energy price rises and to benefit from government funding.

We are also backing new initiatives to reduce the total energy by investing in LED lighting technologies and building management systems. LED lighting could be installed in all council buildings. LED technology offers exceptionally longer life span and lower energy usage. There are reduced maintenance costs and higher safety. This provides a high return on investment.

Greens want the Council to produce more of our own electricity. We would build a second wind turbine on council land, located in Robroyston or Easterhouse costing £5m. This can provide a much needed new revenue stream, and takes us beyond provision of a windfarm located on Cathkin Braes to the next phase of wind power investment. This fosters a sense of hope for the future.

We also support the development of appropriate hydro electric schemes within the city. The small scale scheme proposed on the River Kelvin converts the energy of flowing river water into electricity, and provides an affordable, easy to maintain and long-term solution to our energy needs.

There is funding provided to support the growing and coppicing of willow trees to supply biomass boilers and to sell on the open market. There is a pilot project underway which is providing biomass boilers within several council buildings. The supply of wood fuel from willow grown on council's land should be explored as part of this project.

In the next year, we want to develop support for investment in Energy Efficiency of Council Estate. This would cut the bills the Council faces, they would generate new training and job opportunities and cut our carbon emissions from the council assets.