New figures show that St Albans District is on track to meet an ongoing target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3 per cent each year.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has just published the latest CO2 emissions estimates for the District for 2005-2015.
They show that CO2 emissions across the District reduced by 5.9 per cent between 2014 and 2015.
This drop in emissions has helped to narrow the gap between the District’s performance and the emissions reduction target set by St Albans City and District Council.
If a similar decline in emissions is achieved in 2016 as in 2015, the emissions reduction target will be met next year.
Although the Council does not control District-wide emissions, it aims to minimise the impact of climate change by encouraging residents, businesses and drivers to save energy and fuel. Its Climate Change Action Plan sets out a target to reduce CO2 emissions across the District by 3% per annum from 2006 to achieve a 60% reduction by 2025.
The latest BEIS figures show that, District-wide emissions decreased by 24 per cent between 2005 and 2015. For each person in the District, this equates to a reduction in emissions of 6.2 tonnes in 2005 to 4.3 tonnes in 2015.
Cabinet received a report on these latest figures at a meeting on Thursday 21 September.
After the meeting, Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles, Environmental Portfolio Holder for St Albans City and District Council, said: “The District as a whole is now back on track to meet its cumulative CO2 emissions reduction target next year. This is fantastic news and shows that, despite a couple of severe winters, the efforts of residents, drivers and businesses to reduce emissions are paying dividends.
“The Council is working with them to reduce fuel use and to make homes and premises more energy-efficient. For example, it is encouraging residents to think about insulating their lofts and cavity walls, helping to save energy and reduce emissions. It has also just launched an anti-idling campaign urging drivers to switch off their engines whenever they are parked or are stationary for more than a minute.”
“The Council’s Climate Change Action Plan sets out the steps it is taking. This includes reducing emissions from its own buildings. For example, it has installed solar panels on the roof of new leisure centres as well as energy-saving LED lighting in the council offices.”
More information about District-wide carbon dioxide emissions is contained in the Cabinet papers which are available on the Council’s website.
