Telford & Wrekin Council carbon emissions drop by more than a third

Emissions from the council's operations in 2019/20 fell by 36 per cent compared to the previous year.

A report to be presented to a meeting of the authority's cabinet said the reductions have been achieved through a wide range of measures. These include a fall in electricity use through the installation of solar panels and LED lighting on council buildings and the replacement of streetlights to LEDs, which led to a reduction of nearly 7,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide since April 2017.

Figures for the current financial year are expected to show further reductions. The move to home working as a result of the coronavirus pandemic led to a significant fall in the level of printing – a reduction of more than 300,000 pages per month – business mileage claimed – a fall of nearly 50 per cent in April 2020 compared to the previous April – and energy use – a fall of 43 per cent at Addenbrooke House alone.

Plans for the next financial year include a £1.37m grant-funded scheme to fit heat pumps and improved insulation in council leisure centres, retrofitting council buildings and temporary housing and measures to deliver a 30 per cent reduction in business travel.

The council plans to improve cycling and walking routes, complete the Newport Innovation Park with electric vehicle-charging points and solar panels and install electric vehicle-charging points not limited to council car parks.

Councillor Carolyn Healy, the authority's cabinet member for visitor economy, historic and natural environment and climate change, said: “It’s nothing new for Telford & Wrekin Council to be tackling climate change. We have been committed to reducing our carbon footprint for the last decade. We were one of the first local authorities in the UK to own and operate a solar farm. This and other initiatives led to our reducing emissions by 44 per cent between 2005 and 2018.

“We know from the findings of our recent residents’ survey how concerned our residents are about climate change. Nearly two years ago we declared a climate emergency in Telford & Wrekin. Last year we published our first action plan to become carbon neutral by 2030. I am pleased with the progress we are making. We are not just talking about it, we are doing something about it.

“However, we can’t do it alone, this is a collective effort. As part of that, we established a Telford & Wrekin Borough Climate Change Partnership, which involves a total of 33 organisations. Locally, there is only so much we can achieve together. We must now lobby the government for more support, including more financial support for local authorities and policy changes to help us achieve carbon neutrality."