Manchester United Football Club has come joint top of the energy efficiency league table under the Government's new flagship Carbon Reduction Commitment programme.
The Premier League champions are joint first with 20 others, including British Amercian Tobacco, Center Parcs and the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
The league table ranks many of the UK’s high-street names according to how they manage their energy use and has been published today by the Environment Agency.
However, of more than 4,000 eligible companies, the table is made up from just 2,789 registered participants.
And ironically Trafford Council, the home of Manchester United, comes joint bottom of the table.
Major supermarkets, retailers, restaurant chains, government departments, hospitals and councils are among the organisations ranked in the first CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme Performance League Table according to what they have done to measure energy use as preparation for taking part in the scheme.
The table ranks organisations on the steps they have taken to install smart meters and comply with Carbon Trust, or equivalent accreditation scheme, standards of energy management.
The data forms a baseline for future years which will also show overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, annual emissions savings and progress on energy efficiency.
The top 22 organisation, rated joint-first are:
* 99 Bishopgate Management Ltd
* Arena Coventry Ltd
* Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
* British American Tobacco
* CB Richard Ellis Ltd
* Center Parcs
* Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust
* Department for International Development
* Department for Energy and Climate Change
* Filtrona Plc
* Invesco
* Johnson Wax Ltd
* Keele University
* Midland Quarry Products Ltd
* National Museums Liverpool
* North West London NHS Trust
* Ofgem
* Manchester United Ltd
* Slaughter and May
* Synergy Health Plc
* The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
* UBS
The league table also details the carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes that each of the big organisations are responsible for.
The leading CO2 emitter according to the table data was the Ministry of Defence with 1,754,541 tons, followed by Tesco (1,562,532 tons), BT Group (1,258,720 tons) and J Sainsbury Plc (961,782 tons).
The 2011 league table shows that over 60 per cent of organisations have taken action by installing smart meters and obtaining a certificate for ‘good energy management’ from the Carbon Trust or other accreditation scheme.
The table also shows participants’ annual carbon emissions – although they are not ranked on them this year.
From 2012 organisations’ rank will reflect changes in carbon emissions year on year – both in absolute terms and taking the growth of an organisation into account.
It means the rankings will increasingly become a public statement on participants’ energy efficiency, giving them an added incentive to cut emissions.
The companies, hospitals, universities and councils at the top of this year’s rankings have done the most when it comes to installing smart meters so they can accurately chart how much electricity and gas they use and spot where to make savings.
The Environment Agency’s Director of Environment and Business Ed Mitchell said: "It’s very encouraging that six out of 10 organisations taking part in the scheme have taken steps to improve their energy management.
"The UK needs its high-street shops, major businesses, councils, government departments and other big energy users to use less electricity to help meet tough carbon reduction targets.
"This scheme encourages all big organisations to measure and reduce energy use which in turn should also save them money and help cut the UK’s carbon footprint."
However, Caroline Pitt, director of Carbon Services, at energy and carbon management specialists, Utilyx, said that despite the good aims of the league table, the scheme is too complex and unfair.
She added: “The CRC league table was always going to be contentious – it only covers a small part of organisations’ efforts to reduce their environmental impact and we’re not really comparing like with like – nonetheless, the organisations at the bottom will be asked some searching questions.
"The CRC rules are very complex, but the scheme’s main goal – to use energy more efficiently – is sound – saving energy should save participants money as well as help the environment.
“Although this first year performance league table is the main reputational driver of the scheme, it fails to capture some of the innovative and best practice approaches that participants have already adopted.
“One of the recurring criticisms is that the league table makes unfair comparisons and does not give credit for emissions reductions made before the scheme began. So, while this first league table may spark some interest, and give organisations something to compare future years’ performance to, it will be met with scepticism by many.
“The carbon reduction journey of participants does not end here. In future years, organisations will be under more scrutiny on whether they move up or down the league table. That means it is essential for participants to be fully prepared for compliance in this the second year, so that they can concentrate on using less energy rather than the paperwork.”
The 2010/11 Performance League Table (PLT) is based on early actions that participants have taken to show that they are committed to energy efficiency within their organisations. Participants get credit for early action where they:
* Have a proportion of their CRC emissions certified under one of the seven carbon management schemes which the Environment Agency has accredited, and
* Have a proportion of their CRC electricity and gas supplies measured through voluntarily installed automatic meter reading devices, dynamic un-metered supply and daily read gas meters in year 1.
For the 2010/11 PLT these are the only two things that will affect a participant's position.
Those participants who did not report on or take the early action will be at the bottom of the 2010/2011 PLT. The participant’s total emissions and the emissions they create per unit of turnover, will not affect their position in the 2010/11 PLT
From 2011/12 onwards the percentage change in annual CRC emissions (i.e. the current year's emissions in comparison to the average CRC emissions from the previous years of the scheme) will affect the participant's position in the Performance League Table (PLT). This is to recognise organisations that reduce their emissions from their energy use annually.
The percentage change in annual CRC emissions per unit of turnover or revenue will also affect their position in the PLT. This is to recognise organisations that reduce the emissions associated with each unit of turnover/revenue. In other words, reward organisations which grow sustainably.
The total emissions from a participant will also affect their position in the PLT.
Bill Paul, USA around 6 months ago