County Hall vows to cut air pollution
COMMITMENT RENEWED ON CLEAN AIR DAY
TACKLING air pollution and reducing carbon emissions will continue to be a priority, a council has pledged.
In May 2019, County Hall declared a climate emergency and set a goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 for its own operations, committing to reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and reducing the environmental impact on the health of residents.
The county council has now renewed those pledges.
Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for action on climate change, said: “We have ambitious plans to improve the environment in Leicestershire and, first off, we are looking at how we as a council can improve.
“By the end of last year, we had reduced the greenhouse gas emissions from council operations by 64 per cent and we have also been working with others through lobbying government to achieve carbon neutrality for Leicestershire by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.
“There’s a general awareness air pollution can have serious negative effects on people’s health.
“We are a green council and supporting national campaigns such as Clean Air Day this month encourages residents to think about their own contributions to air pollution and carbon emissions, and to pledge to take action to help us make Leicestershire a greener, healthier, happier place to live together.”
A council spokesman said during April, at the height of lockdown, carbon emissions in the UK fell by about 31 per cent – and the world experienced the sharpest drop in carbon output since records began.
By changing the way residents travel, Leicestershire could continue these good practices and improve their air quality, he said.
Global Action Plan, the organisation behind Clean Air Day, said every year air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK.