Council cuts its carbon emissions again

Argyll and Bute Council has cut its carbon emissions by a third since 2015/16.

 

Emissions have now dropped for the fourth year in a row thanks to a range of measures aimed at reducing the carbon footprint created by the council’s business activities.

 

Measures have included making buildings more energy and heat efficient, replacing traditional lightbulbs with LED, moving to electric or hybrid vehicles and recycling municipal waste.

 

The council’s ultimate target is to achieve net zero by 2045. It has also set an ambitious interim target of reaching a 75% reduction by 2030.

 

Its Decarbonisation Plan sets out actions for continued progress towards achieving those targets.

 

These range from reducing waste (general and food) to increasing solar installations in council buildings, and from reducing road miles for council operations to developing sustainable procurement.

 

Councillors considered the Plan at the recent meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee.

 

Policy Lead for Climate Change and the Environment, Councillor Ross Moreland said:

 

“The climate emergency needs commitment from all of us to tackle the challenge it poses to our planet.

 

Reducing our carbon emissions by one third over the past five years indicates progress. We must keep on doing more. We will achieve most by working together.”

 

Building on previous investments of £1 million, the council allocated additional funding of £500,000 in its budget this year for climate-friendly activities.

 

This will include allocation £50,000 to part fund a new post of Climate Action Project Manager who, as part of Argyll and Bute’s Community Planning Partnership (CPP), will have responsibility for formulating a new Climate Action plan with a strong focus on community involvement.

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