A City of York climate emergency report will be passed to the city council’s executive body to inform the development of future climate policy.
The city declared a climate emergency in March 2019, setting itself a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and establishing a cross-party committee, set to meet bimonthly from September, to evaluate and influence council policy on climate action. The York climate emergency report, which provides updates on the actions already taken by city authorities to mitigate the impact of climate change, will be presented to a public meeting of the council executive on 29 August.
Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said: “York has a proud history of taking action; and this declaration means that hard choices must be made in order to make significant year-on-year reductions for CO2 emissions. Alongside these decisions come opportunities for job creation in the renewables and insulation sector, and for reduced energy costs. We welcome this report and the actions which have already been taken to appoint a climate change lead and a cross-party climate change policy and scrutiny committee.”
The City of York has already implemented a number of strategies aimed at reducing its emissions, including:
- Installing solar panels and air source heat pumps in council housing;
- Providing council support to the Treemendous initiative, which aims to plant 50,000 trees around the city;
- Municipal investment in cycling infrastructure; and
- Promoting sustainable travel options, such as walking, cycling and shared transport, to York residents and visitors.
Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change at City of York Council, said: “The science regarding climate change is compelling and we all have a responsibility to take positive action. In York we are committed to delivering actions that are affordable and that will make a real difference.”
