Council to commit to reducing carbon emissions
Dudley Council looks set to become the latest local authority to declare a Climate Emergency.
The local authority’s ruling cabinet will discuss proposals and are likely to create a group tasked with developing and implementing plans to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint.
Its first task will be to look at whether emergency measures imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which have seen staff working from home, should be adopted longer term.
The group will be made up of councillors from both parties and council officers. It will consider what is in the council’s scope, and future measures could include rolling out a business recycling service, or building new energy efficient homes.
Council bosses say they are committed to reducing carbon emissions – and are moving to put measures in place in preparation for the matter to be discussed at a future full council meeting.
Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for procurement, transformation and commercialisation, said:
“Whilst the last few months have been dominated by another pressing emergency, Dudley Council remains focussed on our ambition to become a cleaner, greener authority.
“In line with the Government’s aims to achieve net zero-emissions by 2050, and the West Midlands Mayor’s target for us to be a net-zero region by 2041, we will be looking to build on the achievements that have already been made in reducing our carbon footprint.
“I will be recommending we create a new working group to look at what our next steps should be and how long it might take, with a view to setting a target date for net-zero carbon emissions as soon as possible.
“The ‘new normal’ brought about by Covid-19 – less travel and more home working with the majority of office-based staff working from home – is considerably more environmentally friendly than the old.
“One of the things we will be tasking the group with looking at is whether these changes, which were initially imposed as emergency short-term measures, should become more embedded for the longer term.
“We will also be speaking to borough residents and staff to see what ideas they have for reducing our emissions as a whole borough.”
Nearly 300 councils across the country have declared a Climate Emergency.
The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the cabinet on Monday July 6.