'Positive progress' on climate targets, says South Glocs Council
A new report was commissioned by the council cabinet last week - as the authority takes steps towards carbon neutrality by 2030
South Gloucestershire Council say 'positive' steps have been taken in their work to help tackle the climate emergency - thanks to the results of a new report.
On Monday last week (December 5), The Climate and Nature Emergency Annual Progress Report was approved by the Cabinet - looking at the progress made in tackling the climate emergency declared by the council in 2019.
Bringing together climate and nature work together, it underlines the significant steps that have been taken in this third year of work and includes an action plan for the upcoming fourth year.
In the report, the authority say strong progress has been made in a number of areas - including reducing carbon emissions, promoting active travel and harnessing renewable energy.
The report's findings
Projects - run by the council - found by the report to have been delivered, adding to the authority's contribution to climate change targets, found these ones as 'notable':
Reducing carbon emissions
- Home energy retrofit schemes
- Thermal imaging cameras in South Glocs libraries - to help people find out more about heat loss
- New heat pumps in six primary schools
- New public electric vehicle charging sites
- 'Targets exceeded' on lower emission materials for maintaining the highways
- Active travel programme with schools bringing one into 'gold standard', two into 'silver' and five into 'bronze' accreditation
- First phase study for the use of mine water to help decarbonise homes
Generation of renewable energy
- 252 homes fitted with solar PVs - thanks to the West of England Solar Together programme
- Progression on work to generate renewable energy at Sort It recycling centres
- Loan finance at The Wave to generate renewable energy
Nature
- External funding for Trees for Climate, Green Recovery and Hedgerow Heroes - thanks to the Forest of Avon Trust, West of England Combined Authority, and The Countryside Charity
- Funding for the Jubilee Park, Frome Valley River Reserve, Tree Canopy Project, Common Connections projects and the Wild Belt Small Sites Aggregation Project
- Local Nature Action Plans with 17 town and parish councils
- Extra biodiversity planning protections
Councillor Toby Savage, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council with cabinet responsibility for climate change, said: “I’m delighted to see positive progress being made across South Gloucestershire as we work towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Our work, together with residents, businesses and other organisations, is a commitment to our communities both now and in the future.
“The climate and nature emergency reaches into all areas of our economy and society and will have increasing impacts. It’s our duty to help mobilise a collective response to this challenge, and it will involve careful management of council budgets and services. I am proud that this year we have brought in substantial external funding of over £8 million to enable us to increase our effort to scale up delivery of this work in the face of squeezed council finances.”
The council aims to to be carbon neutral by 2030 - and they hope to scale-up their efforts to reach this goal.
Earlier this year, the 'Plan to 2030' report - developed by the University of the West of England - looked at what the authority could do to focus its efforts - which have now been implemented for the fourth year of the Council's climate action plan.
Councillor Savage added: “Without our declaration of area wide carbon neutrality by 2030, we would not have come this far in our delivery. We know that every degree of warming matters and that the time for reducing emissions is now, so our focus on 2030 remains the right one.”
They continue to work with the West of England Combined Authority.
They appear high on a list of authorities across the UK delivering work on climate change, which can be accessed here.
You can find about the Solar Together programme here.
You can find out more about 'The Big Switch' here.