Have your say on council’s updated strategy to combat climate change

The council is seeking to update its Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy, which was adopted in 2021, to take further action to reduce the local authority’s emissions to net-zero by 2030 and achieve net-zero for the district by 2045.

The upgraded 2023-2026 strategy acknowledges that mitigation alone is no longer sufficient to combat climate change, and states that climate adaptation is now critical to the future of the district.

The council estimates that the district must reduce its emissions by 14% annually to reach its carbon reduction goals.

Now residents and stakeholders are invited to have their say on the council’s updated plan. The consultation opens on Tuesday 14 June, and runs until Friday 14 July.

Cllr Jon Tankard, Lead Member for Environmental Services, Climate Change, and Sustainability, said: “The council declared a climate emergency and we continue to lead by example whilst encouraging and enabling others to join our net-zero and climate resilience journey.

“In 2021 to 2022, 117 homes in the district have been retrofitted to save 161.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually and another 83 are due to complete very soon, new air source heat pump technology has been retrofitted at the council’s HQ, and a new energy-efficient depot has been built, to name but a few of the innovative things the council is doing – and there is more to come.

“We and the whole world have a long way to go, and we all have our own part to play. I urge everyone within Three Rivers to have their say in the consultation.”

To have your say, please click here. There will also be a pledge page on the consultation site for you to pledge what you will do to help the district reach net-zero.

The pledge page can be found under the Environment and Climate Change banner on the site.