Climate commitment action plan

Introduction from Peter Jackson - Leader of the Council

The need to continue to reduce our carbon emissions has accelerated recently with a growing understanding that restricting global temperature rises is the key priority in avoiding the issues associated with climate change.
 

These issues include threats to unique ecosystems, extreme weather events, impacts on food growing and access to water.
 

The world is currently 1C warmer than pre-industrial levels, every incremental increase in temperature worsens the impact of climate change. Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change in 2018 clearly stated that global warming has to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C to prevent serious impacts.
 

Climate science has clearly shown that in order to prevent dangerous levels of global warming carbon emissions do not just need to be reduced, they need to end. Net zero emissions are needed as soon as possible, the Government has legislated for this to happen by 2050.
 

Northumberland County Council understands that addressing climate change needs to be acted on urgently which is why our target date of net zero emissions for the county is 2030 and why we declared that there is a climate emergency.

Our target date to halve our own operational emissions has been brought forward from 2030 to2025 and we will publish an updated action plan for our own aim for net zero emissions by 2030 before 2024.
 

Clean growth is about decarbonising the county whilst improving the local economy.
 

A post carbon economy becomes a necessity for net zero emissions and with this there are economic opportunities for Northumberland as the need for renewable, clean energy generation and use can attract clean economic growth, potentially lowering our residents’, community and businesses’ energy costs.
 

I sincerely hope our commitment to the climate is fully realised, it will require a change in our approach to everyday life in areas which have an impact on the climate. We also have to attract significant investment and funding in the application and advancements of low and zero carbon technologies.
 

Nonetheless, we have made progress in positioning the County to allow this change, such as securing the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, and there are a number of areas where the Council can make a difference in the short to medium term, building momentum for our local action to be increasingly driven by a respect for and a desire to protect the environment for future generations to enjoy