Oxfordshire County Council has become the first local authority in the UK to commit to negative carbon dioxide emissions for its own estate.
The local authority also agreed to ‘rapidly’ scale the market for carbon dioxide removal through the council’s policy making and partnership activity.
Deputy leader Pete Sudbury said: ‘The uncomfortable reality is that negative emissions – actively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – are the last throw of the dice, as we struggle to control the escalating damage from extreme weather, but the supply chains aren't growing nearly fast enough.
‘Alongside aggressive action to end the burning of fossil fuels, building those supply chains in time is a “do not fail”, and starting now with small investments makes a big difference in the next 10 years.’
Oxfordshire said the methods of securing negative emissions most applicable to the county were afforestation and reforestation, biochar (enhancing soil’s ability to store carbon), and soil carbon sequestration.
The council has taken advice on its strategy from Steve Smith, associate professor of greenhouse gas removal at Oxford University.
Prof Smith said: ‘The market for carbon dioxide removal technologies is currently at an early stage, and so this initiative by Oxfordshire County Council will help kickstart development.
‘I look forward to the local authority tapping into the expertise and the opportunities to scale some of these solutions here in Oxfordshire.’
