Councillors in Peterborough have approved a ‘roadmap to net zero’ with measures that would only reduce emissions by 78%.
In 2019, Peterborough City Council declared a climate emergency and committed to becoming a net zero carbon organisation by 2030.
Measures on the new roadmap, which include installing low carbon heating and fuelling vehicles with hydrotreated vegetable oil, ‘have the potential’ to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2030 against a 2018-19 baseline.
The document says ‘some residual emissions remain for which there is not yet a defined pathway to reduce’ and that the council would consider using carbon credit schemes to offset emissions.
Cabinet member for environment and transport Angus Ellis said: ‘We are fully committed to lowering carbon emissions across the council and the roadmap to net zero will play a key role in helping us achieve this, in turn producing widespread benefits for our communities.’
Peterborough said it had already cut carbon emissions by 28.6% between 2018-19 and 2022-23 through measures including LED installations and electric vehicle purchases, and less measurable projects like carbon literacy training.
