Council praised for climate action plan

A council has been praised for having one of the top climate change action plans in the country.

Durham County Council is among 13 local authorities that have the best climate change action plans for addressing food emissions, according to a new study.

The council has been named following research by Sustain, which looked into 92 local government plans and measures to tackle food-related emissions at the level needed to meet international commitments to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees and achieve net zero.

After declaring a climate emergency in 2019, Durham CountyCouncilpledgedtoreduce carbon emissions from the council’s operations by 80 per cent by 2030, and to take necessary action to make County Durham carbon neutral by 2050.

The council’s Climate Emergency Action Response Plan outlines the measures it will take to meet this pledge, including actions to reduce food-related emissions.

The council has been working with organisations such as Durham Food Group and supported by Durham Community Action to address carbon-producing factors such as food waste disposal and food sustainability.

Cllr John Clare, Durham County Council’s climate c h a n ge c h a m p i o n , s a i d : “Our Climate Emergency ResponsePlanidentifiessignificant steps we have pledged to take to help reduce the county’s production of carbon and help tackle climate change.

“Local authorities have the opportunity to radically reduce the impact our food systems have on the climate, andthisissomethingwe have pledged to tackle in our plan.”