Cabinet approves draft carbon neutral plan
Published: 16/03/2023
Ashford Borough Council’s Cabinet have approved for consultation the draft carbon neutral action plan.
The plan supports the aim to achieve carbon neutrality within the council’s own estate and operations by 2030 and emphasises the need for the whole community’s involvement in achieving Ashford wide carbon neutrality before 2050.
Eight priority areas feature in the plan, focusing not just on how the council can improve sustainability and achieve net zero carbon in our own operations, but also how we can encourage and enable all of Ashford to join us on this journey.
Each priority has a series of objectives and actions that the council will be consulting on over the coming months. The community will play a vital role in achieving carbon neutrality in the borough, which is why we need them to take part in the consultation process. We want to ensure we create an action plan that everyone feels they can be part of.
Cllr Gerry Clarkson, Leader of Ashford Borough Council said “The approval of the draft carbon neutral plan for consultation reaffirms not only the council’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 but the importance of the whole borough coming together to enact change if Ashford is to be carbon neutral by 2050.”
“The resilience, commitment and dedication of our local communities was ably demonstrated throughout the coronavirus pandemic. As we now face the greatest threat to our planet and our health and wellbeing because of climate change it is imperative that our collaborative endeavours turn to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The actions we take now will be our legacy for future generations.”
A study will also be undertaken to fully understand the financial implications of achieving net zero within our estate and operations. This will inform the timeframe of actions within the final plan in order to make the most efficient use of the council’s existing resources, and will enable the council to identify where additional resource will be required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030.
