Cash flow given as reason for net zero plan delay
2025 target was set before fall-out of Covid says chair
CHESHIRE East Council has blamed ‘struggling public sector finances’ after putting back plans to become carbon neutral by two years.
The authority announced this week that the target to become a net zero council, announced in May 2019, would be revised to 2027 from 2025.
The plan still remains for the council to cut its carbon emissions by 50 per cent, compared to what it says is the 2019-19 baseline of 15,500 tonnes.
And for the remaining emissions to be offset by green initiatives, such as planting 100 hectares of trees.
In response a Macclesfield ecocampaigner has questioned Cheshire East’s commitment to the environment.
Councillor Mick Warren, chair of the environment and communities committee, said: “We set a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2025.
“This was at a time before Covid when no-one could have predicted the struggles that the public sector would now be facing financially.
“Our commitment to becoming carbon neutral – both as an organisation and as a borough – is as strong now, however, we also have to recognise that the landscape we are operating in now makes it impossible for us to achieve this target.
“We have made tremendous strides in energy saving. The works that we committed to in 2019 are continuing but the target date for this to be achieved is to be reset to 2027, which still remains one of the most ambitious targets in the country.”
Among the ways carbon emissions have been cut include replacing 39,000 streetlights with light-emitting diodes and fitting solar panel or low carbon heat pumps at buildings such as Macclesfield Town Hall.
The council says other efforts include using hydrogen to power two bin lorries, fitting toilets that flush with less water and encouraging less car use, including by its own staff.
While work to offset the remaining carbon will also feature the solar farm at Leighton Grange, where waste is recycled. It is planned to put energy back into the National Grid.
Not everyone is convinced by these measures.
Tom Eccles, from Save Danes Moss campaign group, points out should plans to develop this area go ahead then reports say 220,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, including carbon, could be released.
He said: “They own the land. They started the project and continue to run it.
“They know it is peatland which is the biggest store of carbon on land in the world, they will be responsible for these emissions.
“I’m convinced the leadership neither understand nor care about the real world. We are living in a climate and nature emergency and they simply don’t understand what this means.”
The council wants Cheshire East as a borough to be carbon neutral by 2045.
‘The target date for this to be achieved is to be reset to 2027, which still remains one of the most ambitious targets in the country’ CLLR MICK WARREN