Cabinet approves Bridgend County Borough’s 2030 Net Zero Carbon Strategy

A plan outlining how Bridgend County Borough Council intends to work towards Welsh Government targets on achieving net zero carbon status by the year 2030 has received Cabinet approval.

The 2030 Net Zero Carbon Strategy sets out how the council and its partners will explore opportunities for developing a range of new transport, power and heating systems suitable for vehicles and buildings while enhancing green space, reducing fuel bills and cutting carbon emissions.

The strategy, which will be incorporated into the council’s new Corporate Plan, is intended to complement the council’s existing commitments towards making services more environmentally friendly across all levels of the organisation.

Following a request by Scrutiny to provide more information on how much the strategy is likely to cost to implement, Janine Nightingale, Director of Communities, clarified that rather than representing an individually-detailed action plan, it forms an overall framework for what the council needs to do in the longer term in order to achieve targets set by Welsh Government.

Janine said: “This is a corporate strategy which sets out our aspirations as a local authority to reduce our carbon footprint by 90,000 tonnes, so any costs associated with specific actions will need to be incorporated into each stage along with details of relevant external funding sources and internal match-funding requirements, and subject to annual review and approval.

“As an over-arching corporate strategy, it touches upon many different areas of council business and is as much about issues such as how we procure services and goods or develop more sustainable working practices as it is about introducing new fleet vehicles or making our heat and power systems more energy efficient.”

Cllr John Spanswick, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “The Bridgend 2030 Net Zero Carbon Strategy marks the culmination of 18 months of extensive work.

“It has been subject to input from recognised experts at the Carbon Trust as well as feedback from a 12 week public consultation, and it is one of the first in Wales to have been developed in line with the recommendations of the Welsh Public Sector Net Zero Carbon Reporting Guide.

“Supported by the council’s Local Area Energy, Smart Energy and Green Infrastructure plans, the strategy will provide the council with a pathway for developing decarbonised, digitally advanced transportation, power and heating systems as well as green spaces that meet UK decarbonisation targets.

“The 2030 Net Zero Carbon Strategy will also enable us to play our part in addressing the global climate challenge, and to work alongside UK and Welsh Government, local communities, the public sector and private partners as we seek to deliver upon our net zero carbon commitments.”

More information on the 2030 Net Zero Carbon Strategy is available at the corporate website in both English and Welsh.