Broadland: Council agrees target to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030
Broadland District Council has pledged to be Net Zero by the end of this decade, 20 years ahead of the government’s national target for the UK.
Net Zero can be achieved by a combination of emission reduction and emission removal, changing the way we work, innovation through technology and by planting trees that remove greenhouse gases as they grow.
Broadland District Council Leader, Cllr Shaun Vincent said:
“Broadland District Council is leading the way on changing how we work and making decision that will have a real and lasting effect, resulting in us achieving Net Zero. We have often been asked to declare a climate emergency, but this is just rhetoric and ours is a council of action. Our recently published Environmental Strategy shows our commitment to this vital issue for our planet and we are looking at every service we provide to see how it can be changed to help us reduce emissions and achieve Net Zero by 2030.”
Broadland District Councillor, Judy Leggett, portfolio holder for Environmental Excellence said:
“The Council has made reaching Net Zero by 2030 one of our main priorities and we have already taken significant steps towards making this happen. The Council has switched the fuel for our refuse vehicles from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil and our new office, the Horizon Centre, is more energy efficient with more than 2,500 solar panels which will generate clean electricity.
"To achieve net zero emissions, we will need to reduce our emissions as far as possible, however there will be some emissions that will be more difficult to remove. We will develop projects both for the Council and for our communities to offset these remaining emissions including grants for better insulation of housing, grants for heat source pumps and grants to plant trees.”
The council’s actions over the last twelve months have already had a huge impact reducing carbon emissions by over 70%. Work already planned for next year will result in a further reduction of at least another 17%.
Net Zero means achieving a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it. This balance – or Net Zero – will happen when the amount of carbon added to the atmosphere is no more than the amount removed.
The Council has calculated its annual carbon footprints since 2018 read the reports on our webite.
Read our Environmental Strategy.