Sourcing recycled paper, more electric vehicle charging points and reviewing bin collection rounds are among the measures a Suffolk authority has agreed to help tackle climate change.
West Suffolk Council’s cabinet on Tuesday agreed to an action plan put forward by a cross-party task force in ways of reducing its carbon impact and becoming more environmentally sustainable.
MORE: Climate change task group formed at West Suffolk CouncilAmong the measures to be pursued are:
• Raising energy efficiency standards in council homes
• Adding greater sustainability plans into planning policies
• Using renewable energy in council buildings
• Reviewing the waste collection routes to make them as efficient as possible
• Electric vehicles when replacing pool cars
• Providing more electric vehicle charge points
• Improve monitoring of air quality
• Do more to tackle vehicle idling
• Assess options for building and running a new solar farm
• Use recycled or sustainably sourced paper
• Procure from local firms where possible
The authority said it had a roadmap of around 50 measures to begin with, which will help meet its aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, after declaring a climate emergency last year.
On Tuesday it also agreed to declare an environment emergency.
Council leader John Griffiths said: “One of the first initiatives I set up when West Suffolk Council was formed last year was to set up a task force to look into what more we can do with regard to climate change.
“We already have a strong track record on reducing our impact on the climate which has seen real and positive results and made us a national leader in areas such as energy from solar; and even during lockdown we carried on with initiatives such as planting another 1,000 trees.
“But more can always be done, and this green roadmap will build further on our work in West Suffolk with a number of measures and initiatives to further tackle climate change and protect our environment. Specifically, it will help us in our aim of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and underline the importance of tackling the emergency more urgently.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here