The Sustainability Journey of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
At RBFRS, we recognise that our responsibility extends beyond immediate operational response; it includes safeguarding the environment and contributing to a more sustainable future. We are proud to be working collaboratively across departments, with our partners and communities, to drive meaningful change. Our approach is largely guided by national frameworks, local priorities, and government targets. As we continue to evolve, we remain focused on innovation, transparency, and continuous improvement.
A Legacy Estate with Modern Ambitions
Our estate includes a diverse portfolio of fire stations, some dating back to the 1930s. which highlights the energy inefficiencies we must overcome. As we modernise, we recognise that our duty extends beyond emergency response. We are stewards of the environment, committed to reducing our carbon footprint and fostering a sustainable future for our communities.
Strategy First: Defining Sustainability for RBFRS
In December 2024, we published our first Sustainability Strategy and Environmental Policy. This was a milestone that formalised our commitment and provided a roadmap for action. Developed in collaboration with Mortice Consulting, the strategy reflects a service-wide understanding of sustainability, shaped through workshops with staff across departments. This inclusive process ensured that our goals resonate with everyone, from frontline responders to the team at our Headquarters.
The strategy is built around four core themes:
- Consumption: Conserving resources and minimising waste, with a focus on procurement and supply chain management.
- Decarbonisation: Reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions through estate management and operational changes.
- Our People: Empowering staff and stakeholders through education, collaboration, and community engagement.
- Guardianship: Enhancing environmental resilience by addressing risks like wildfires, flooding, and contaminants.
Turning Strategy into Action: The Roadmap
Following the strategy’s launch, we developed a comprehensive action plan with over 100 projects spanning a five-year horizon. Recognising the need for realism, we distilled this into a focused Year One programme, endorsed by senior leadership and the Fire Authority. This approach acknowledges the sector’s resource constraints and avoids the pitfalls of overambition.
Our Year One goals include:
- Implementing structured carbon reporting across the service
- Rolling out single-stream waste management and consumption reduction initiatives
- Developing building usage and efficiency plans
- Pilot carbon literacy training scheme for 60 staff members
- Establishing robust sustainability governance and reporting processes
- Launching asset longevity initiatives
- Enhancing social value awareness among staff and contractors
These foundational steps will inform future planning and ensure that sustainability becomes embedded in our culture and operations.
Recognising Existing Efforts
While developing the strategy, we identified several ongoing initiatives that already support our sustainability goals. These include:
- Transitioning to SharePoint 365 to reduce printing
- Promoting hybrid working to minimise travel
- Collaborating with other emergency services and local authorities
- Emphasising social value in procurement
- Introducing hybrid and electric vehicles into our fleet
- Exploring telematics and alternative fuels for heavy vehicles
These efforts, though modest in scale, demonstrate that meaningful change often begins with small, practical steps.
Recognising our challenges:
- Budget
- Culture
- Governance
- Resource
No sustainability journey is without its hurdles, as we embed sustainability into our operations and estate, several key challenges have emerged that shape how we plan, deliver, and evolve our initiatives.
One of the most persistent challenges is funding. While our capital expenditure is allocated through a structured programme, many of our sustainability efforts, particularly those tied to day-to-day operations, fall under revenue budgets. This shift toward “business as usual” sustainability is relatively new, and we’re still building internal governance to consistently earmark funds for it.
We’ve secured funding for Year One, which is a promising start. But to ensure long-term viability, we must demonstrate impact, track progress, and build a compelling case for continued investment. Sustainability isn’t just a cost, it’s a value driver. The more we can quantify its benefits, the stronger our position becomes in future budget discussions.
Fire services can be traditional, and introducing new ways of thinking, especially around topics like sustainability, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and contaminant management, requires careful navigation. We’ve seen firsthand how challenging it can be to shift behaviours and attitudes, particularly among operational staff who are rightly focused on safety, readiness, and response.
Introducing new processes into a highly governed environment is no small feat. Our service operates within strict frameworks, and any new initiative must pass through multiple layers of approval and adoption. This can slow progress, but it also ensures rigour and accountability.
We’re learning to work within these structures, modifying existing tools like Equality Impact Assessments and Statements of Requirements to include sustainability elements, rather than reinventing the wheel. Integration, not disruption, is our guiding principle.
Perhaps the most complex challenge is resourcing. Sustainability cannot be the sole responsibility of the Estates department; it must be a shared endeavour embraced by every team. Yet with competing priorities and limited capacity, mobilising collective action is easier said than done.
We’re fostering a culture of ownership in which sustainability is woven into daily decisions and long-term planning. From carbon literacy training to social value initiatives, we’re equipping staff with the tools and knowledge to contribute meaningfully.
Capital Investment: Driving Decarbonisation
RBFRS has made significant capital investments to decarbonise our estate. Our Heat Decarbonisation Plan, funded by Salix Finance, laid the groundwork for removing fossil-fuel heating systems and replacing them with air-source heat pumps. Supporting upgrades include cavity wall insulation, double glazing, and LED lighting. One site will also receive a solar PV system.
The Whitley Wood Training Centre project exemplifies our sustainable design aspirations. Delivered using modular construction, it offers:
- Lower environmental impact
- Reduced waste and emissions
- Improved material efficiency
- Circular economy benefits
- Sustainable material use
The project also incorporated BREEAM assessment, aligning with best practices in sustainable building design.
Integrating Sustainability into SAIF
Our Strategic Asset Investment Framework (SAIF) outlines estate investments over the next decade. While sustainability has always been a consideration, the new strategy elevates its importance in refurbishment projects. Even when BREEAM certification isn’t feasible, we can apply its principles internally, focusing on:
- Energy and water efficiency
- Health and well-being in internal environments
- Sustainable materials and management processes
- Pollution control and transport planning
- Waste reduction and ecological impact
We can also set supplier standards for environmental management, carbon reporting, ethical sourcing, and social value, ensuring that our procurement aligns with our sustainability goals.
Upcoming Projects: Solar, EV Infrastructure, and More
Looking ahead, we’ve programmed several key projects:
- Solar PV Expansion: Of our 17 buildings, six already have solar installations. After structural surveys, we identified nine viable sites and are proceeding with four based on desktop survey data and budget availability.
- EV Charging Infrastructure: This complex project involves data gathering to assess fleet, staff, and visitor needs. Considerations include site security, benefit-in-kind implications, and external partnerships.
- Heat Decarbonisation Phase 2: This project will expand our sustainable technologies and infrastructure, guided by improved carbon data and estate insights.
Case Study: LED Lighting Success
Our recent LED lighting project, delivered via the Laser framework, showcases the tangible benefits of sustainability:
- 3.3 tonnes of carbon saved
- £32,000 reduction in energy bills
- 62.5% decrease in lighting energy use
- Equivalent of 1,318 trees saved annually
- 95% of materials recycled
Laser’s comprehensive reporting was instrumental in securing leadership support and demonstrating ROI—key factors in advancing future initiatives.
Sector-Specific Challenges
Despite our progress, we face challenges common to fire services:
- Ageing Infrastructure: Retrofitting old buildings is costly and complex, especially while maintaining operations.
- Budget Constraints: Upfront investment is often difficult to secure, even when long-term savings are clear.
- Competing Priorities: EDI and contaminant management are critical and must be balanced with sustainability goals.
- Operational Demands: Service delivery cannot be compromised, so sustainability must be integrated—not imposed.
These challenges require creativity, collaboration, and a pragmatic approach. We’re learning to align sustainability with our core mission, making it part of how we work, not just what we aspire to.
Conclusion: A Collective Commitment
Sustainability at RBFRS is not the responsibility of one department, it’s a collective effort. Our strategy, roadmap, and capital programme reflect a service-wide commitment to building a resilient, responsible future. We’re proud of our progress and remain focused on continuous improvement, transparency, and innovation.
As we move forward, we invite other services, partners, and communities to join us in this journey. Together, we can redefine what it means to serve, not just with courage and dedication, but with care for the planet and future generations.
SOPHIE FOX – Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Sustainability Officer
Sophie has been leading sustainability initiatives at Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service since 2023. Initially appointed to deliver an LED lighting and Solar PV project, her role has since expanded in line with the growing importance of sustainability within the fire and rescue sector.
Over the past two years, she has worked with colleagues across the service to embed sustainability into its long-term strategy, reflecting a commitment to meaningful change and sector-wide progress in environmental responsibility.
Sophie’s talk will highlight the service’s progress toward its sustainability goals, and the opportunities and challenges it has encountered along the way.
For more information please visit website rbfrs.co.uk