New Forest District Council promises more climate action
The authority's drawn up a new plan to tackle the issue
More work's being planned by New Forest District Council to protect the area from the effects of climate change.
The authority's put together a Climate Change and Nature Action Plan, with measures set to be implemented during 2023.
They include more efforts to protect the New Forest's coast, make improvements to sustainable transport, create more low carbon social housing, and support residents to make environmental changes themselves.
Cllr Steve Davies, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Coastal Services, said:
“Since declaring a Climate Change and Nature Emergency, we have taken positive action to tackle climate action within the council and with our community.
“We now have a dedicated resource for climate action, and many projects have been delivered over the last year, or are in progress. To highlight just a few, we’ve planted hundreds of trees in the district, installed more electric vehicle charging points at our car parks, and worked with our communities to further reduce waste and recycle.
“We will be taking this momentum forwards to protect our environment and to meet the government’s target of net zero carbon by 2050, and sooner if we can.”
A climate emergency was declared by NFDC in October 2021.
The new Climate Change and Nature Action Plan 2023 will be reviewed and aligned with a 5-year climate change and nature strategy, which is currently in development and expected to be agreed by full Council later this year.
Roxanne King, NFDC Climate Change Manager, said:
“As well as the initiatives we have delivered over the last year, we have collected extensive data around local carbon emissions. This has helped us to understand the best approach for the district, further actions we need to take, and how we can measure our progress.
“We will be focusing on a variety of projects under the three main areas of carbon reduction, climate adaption, and nature recovery. We will be looking at these areas in particular to deliver the most impact and best value for money, but we are also making sure that climate action and sustainability is considered in everything we do, and how we do it. With this approach, and by working with our community, we can make real long-lasting change and protect our district for future generations.”