West Suffolk Council has delayed their net zero target by nine years, emphasising that ‘being honest' is crucial to the success of their plans.
Whilst the local authority has made substantial decarbonisation progress through initiatives such as Solar for Business and Warm Homes Suffolk, the council recently proposed 2039 as a ‘more realistic date’ for their net zero goal.
In the recent Cabinet review, it was confirmed that the council ‘already saves more carbon indirectly than it emits directly’, resulting in the reduction of at least 7,000 tonnes of carbon annually.
However, national demand for increased council services has required the local authority to adjust their current ‘ambitious’ net zero timeline.
Cllr Gerald Kelly, Cabinet Member for Governance, Regulatory and Environment at West Suffolk Council, said the council needs ‘a more realistic plan to achieve net zero, and being honest about that fact is a key part of maintaining trust in this agenda.’
‘The revised target allows us to keep the momentum and optimism for tackling climate change going and continue to make significant progress’, he added.
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