What we are doing to help tackle climate change
In February 2019 we joined a growing number of local authorities which have declared a climate emergency and have called on the government to support action on climate change at a local level.
All councils in Oxfordshire are signed up to carbon reduction targets through the Oxfordshire Energy Strategy and are committed to a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emission between 2008 and 2030.
To achieve this locally, we have called on the government to:
- set clear standards through the building regulations for zero carbon new buildings;
- facilitate the urgent retrofit of existing homes to ensure we can meet energy targets;
- provide local government with increased support for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including on-street charging;
- review and simplify the regulatory framework to allow councils to maximise the use of their assets for electricity generation and battery storage.
We continue to deliver carbon reductions across our buildings and services and during 2020 will carry out a review of our own Climate Change Strategy and Carbon Management Plan to ensure we are doing all we can to tackle climate change.
This is in the light of the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report concluded that we have just 12 years to act on climate change, if global temperatures are to be kept within the recommended 1.5 degrees Celsius.
You can read the IPCC Report here.
To view the Leader’s letter please click on Letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (339.9 KB) .
