Progress on carbon reduction and new sustainability priorities
It's one of the highlights from our Climate Change Annual Report. It was approved at a meeting of the Council on Tuesday 8 October.
What our Climate Change annual report tells you
- it shows the progress we're making in tackling climate change and reducing carbon emissions in the borough.
- it reflects our commitment to environmental sustainability.
- it supports one of our key priorities—creating a more sustainable borough.
Key findings from the report
13% reduction in emissions
We've reduced our carbon emissions by 13% compared to our baseline year of 2019. That was the year we declared a climate emergency.
Steady progress post-pandemic
We've continued reducing emissions in the years following COVID-19. While emissions are not fully on track with those predicted in 2019, they remain lower than levels reported before the pandemic. This shows our commitment to reducing environmental harm.
Climate Change at the heart of Guildford's Corporate Strategy
Addressing climate change is now a top priority in our new Corporate Strategy. This strengthens our pledge to become a greener borough.
New webpages dedicated to climate action
We've created a series of new webpages to promote our climate change work. They provide detailed information about:
- our plans
- our progress
- ways for residents and businesses to get involved with local sustainability projects
Key actions identified across our services
The report outlines key actions to deliver across our different services. These targeted actions will:
- help speed up our progress towards reducing emissions
- improve our resilience to climate change
We are integrating the actions endorsed by the Climate Change Action Plan into our services. Progress is overseen by the Climate Change Board. The board is made up of:
- elected members
- officers
- partners within our communities
Lead Councillor for Planning, Environment and Climate Change, Cllr George Potter, said:
"I'm delighted to see the progress we've made this year since adopting our Climate Change Action Plan in 2023. We're steadily working our way through our action plan, with 105 actions out of 243 having already been started or completed.
"Making climate emergency and biodiversity a priority in our new 10-year Corporate Strategy will release more resources across the council to support our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
"We're committed to accelerating our climate actions and working collaboratively to make Guildford a greener, more sustainable place for all."
More information
Actions we're taking to combat the climate emergency
Published on: 9 October 2024