Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Infrastructure and TechnologyLatestNews

Zero Carbon Shropshire plan unveiled

A team of over 100 volunteers from across Shropshire, including businesses, councils and community groups have responded to the climate emergency by producing a plan for Shropshire.

The group, called Shropshire Climate Action Partnership, has a number of recommended actions for business and local government, including the expansion of a series of electric charging points for residents and businesses across the area.

Shropshire has a carbon footprint near to 6m MtCO2e per year and around 12 tonnes per person. The plan identifies about 70% of the changes needed to be successful and said work will continue in 2021 to create a more comprehensive plan.

Allan Wilson, Chair of Shropshire Climate Action Partnership (SCAP) said: “We know the scale of the challenge, but also that we have the ability to meet it, working together.”

“Immediate actions are recommended from January 2021 that will achieve significant reductions if acted upon by households, businesses and councils across Shropshire. Time is pressing, and the biggest risk is failure to mobilise on the necessary scale for immediate implementation”.

“The zero-carbon journey for Shropshire represents the biggest commercial opportunity of our time, and offers an excellent opportunity for employment and sustainable economic growth.

“Shropshire has tremendous renewable energy resources which can be developed.  There is great potential for improving our energy efficiency, delivering a network of electric vehicle charging points and other positive investments in our future.

“We welcome people’s comments to our first plan, while working with us to develop it further. We need everyone in Shropshire to be involved in this now.

“We are asking people to initially measure their own individual and their family’s carbon footprint, and then adopt the simple achievable steps in our plan to work towards a zero carbon future.

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care, public health and climate change, said: “This brilliantly ambitious strategy is welcomed by Shropshire Council. It is an excellent example of what can be achieved when we all work together to achieve a common goal and will complement the council’s own corporate climate change strategy and action plan.”

Sign up for our essential
newsletter service.

Enter your details here.