LIVERPOOL is the first council in Merseyside to be recognised for reducing its carbon footprint.

It was awarded the Carbon Trust Standard for its efforts to limit carbon output at its 500 buildings.

Every school, library, leisure centre, cemetery and one-stop Shop was fitted with equipment to monitor the amount of energy being used, making Liverpool one of the few councils in the UK to monitor its premises.

The independent inspector who assessed the council said: “There are few, if any, local authorities with such exceptional quality of data which can monitor live virtually an entire estate.”

Measures included more energy-efficient heating systems at Sefton Park’s Palm House and installing eco-friendly light bulbs at St George’s Hall.

The town hall now buys all its food from local suppliers in a bid to cut down “food miles”.

Cllr Berni Turner, executive member for the environment, said: “Our dedicated energy team are committed to doing everything they can to reduce our carbon footprint.

“After just three years, we are seeing a positive difference to the amount of energy we use and for the past year there has been no increase at all, which is quite a feat.”