A new strategy outlining plans to protect and enhance the environment will be discussed by councillors next week.
If adopted, the strategy will be used when making environmental decisions to meet needs locally as well as considering global and national priorities.
One of the key aspects of the strategy sets out plans to empower communities, residents, the public sector and businesses to become resilient to climate change alongside the council’s commitment to reduce its own impact on the environment.
Targets include:
- a 38 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030;
- an increase in the level of low carbon and renewable energy generated on council land and properties to 15 per cent by 2021;
- to explore an increase in the council’s fleet of energy-efficient vehicles and reduce the mileage travelled to deliver its operations and services, lowering air pollution.
As part of the UK100 campaign, the council has also pledged to use 100 per cent clean energy by 2050, ensuring that its energy will come from renewable sources such as wind, water and solar power and not from fossil fuels.
In recent years, there have been increasing public calls for action on climate change and the environment.
As a local authority, we must take the lead in building on global and national commitments and work collaboratively with colleagues, local communities and partners.
This new strategy builds on the success we have already achieved and will act as a blueprint for how we will meet the challenges of climate change and environmental deterioration to ensure a better future for the people of Leicestershire.
Person:Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for environment and transport
The draft strategy builds on the success of previous plans and programmes which have already reduced the council’s carbon footprint.
These have included low or zero carbon energy on council land increasing to 11 per cent from zero in 2008/09; business mileage reducing by 1.5 million miles since 2012, saving more than 400 tonnes of Co2; and street lighting energy consumption decreasing by 24.7 per cent as a result of energy-saving LEDs.
The strategy will be discussed by cabinet on Friday, 6 July. It will be shown live at leicestershire.gov.uk/webcast.