From the first Local Transport Plan to take forward recommendations from a climate assembly to the launch of a practical guide for moving to a circular economy, the council’s 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme annual report shows the progress made in 2021/22.
Schools launched their ‘Our City, Our World’ environmental vision and climate change plan for the classroom and communities came together in a day of action about food and climate.
The council began wilding a former golf course at Waterhall, planted thousands of trees, upgraded nearly 700 boilers in council homes and trialled new energy-efficient heat pumps, saving emissions and heating costs for residents.
Brighton & Hove is also one of the top five councils in the country for electric vehicle charging points, with over 300 installed, and introduced the first all-electric refuse truck in the south east.
Councillors will review Brighton & Hove’s 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme at the Policy & Resources Committee today, 7 July.
The council-led plan sets the city’s direction for action on climate change and biodiversity loss to 2030, focussing on actions to reduce emissions, improve health, create social justice and protect nature.
Council leader and chair of the Policy & Resources Committee Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “We want to take the best lessons from a year of important Carbon Neutral work and invest £14 million to do more to protect Brighton & Hove’s climate and biodiversity.
“This matters because whether it’s cleaning up the air, protecting wildlife or supporting jobs, preventing runaway climate change can’t be done in isolation.
“As well as providing crucial evidence, the next stage of work will help attract external funding and help us take bigger and bolder actions.
"There will be a greater emphasis on protecting biodiversity, on how we keep money in the local economy, the social benefits of climate action, such as tackling the cost-of-living crisis and the health benefits from clean air. We also want to show the impact of our actions in greater detail and invest in projects to enable long-term positive change.
“Climate breakdown is now causing devastating damage across the globe, driving many species to extinction and causing serious economic disruption.
"While there’s inspiring work underway across Brighton & Hove, there’s still much more to be done to cut toxic carbon emissions and reduce the worst effects of climate change here and abroad.”
The council’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 52.6% over the last decade, with an average annual reduction of 7.63%. Emissions from electricity consumption fell by 73%.
However, the council’s emissions make up a tiny fraction (1.7%) of the total for the city which is why collaboration with businesses, organisations and communities is essential to reach our carbon neutral target.
Latest figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) show that carbon dioxide emissions in the city fell by more than 12% between 2019 and 2020 and greenhouse gas emissions by 11.9%. This fall is likely to have been affected by the pandemic lockdowns which happened during the period.
Over the next 2 years the council plans to invest in research to monitor the carbon impact of projects and work with the city on a climate adaptation strategy to help us respond to the effects of climate change, such as flooding and heatwaves.
Since 2019 the council has made available almost £23 million for its projects working to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergency. This includes £14 million over the next 2 years.
Some of the new funding will be spent on 2 more air quality monitoring stations, improving the street environment where people live through the ‘liveable neighbourhoods’ scheme and measures to reduce emissions from council-owned buildings.
Read the 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme annual report (agenda item 11) for the 7 July Policy & Resources Committee which takes place in Hove Town Hall council chamber from 4pm, or watch the meeting online.
