PEMBROKESHIRE Coast National Park Authority highlighted its commitment to sustainability during Climate Week with a dramatic fall in CO2 emissions.

The authority has significantly reduced its emissions at its Pembroke Dock headquarters over the last two years increasing its energy rating to well above average.

Recent improvements to the former officer’s mess building have resulted in a Display Energy Certificate rating of Band B - an exceptional rating for this type of building and well above the average.

The improvement from the high end of Band C in just two years is the result of significant work undertaken as part of the Authority’s ongoing ‘greening up’ programme.

National Park Authority Building Projects Officer Andrew Muskett said: “The recent Display Energy Certificate rating emphasises how much energy can be saved, even in a building which is more than a century old.

“The Authority will now be rolling out energy improvements to all its other buildings wherever possible in order to increase efficiency savings, decrease costs and work towards meeting Welsh Government targets for carbon emission reductions.”

Recent improvements to the Edwardian building include the installation of a new 100kw biomass pellet boiler in 2012 and the addition of 16 photovaltaic panels in March 2013. To date the panels have generated over 3450kwh of energy and saved almost 2000kg of CO2.

These improvements have resulted in a fall in the building’s emissions from 113 tonnes of CO2 per year in 2011 to less than 75 tonnes in 2013.

National Park Authority Chairman Cllr Mike James added: “It is great to see that these improvements have made such a radical change to the building’s CO2 emissions and I look forward to seeing more of the Authority’s buildings follow this example.

“The National Park Authorities are seen as exemplars in sustainable development and it is vital that we take every opportunity to demonstrate how this can work in practice.

“This building has played an important role in Pembroke Dock’s history and as a result of this work will now be able to play a part in its sustainable future.”

The red brick building dates back to 1904 and was refurbished in 2004 when it became the headquarters for the National Park Authority. The building’s other sustainable features include a solar hot water system, high levels of insulation, rainwater harvesting and an intelligent lighting system.