Nottingham Green Party welcomes ambitions for a carbon neutral Nottingham and looks forward to scrutinising plans for achieving this.
Nottingham City Council announced in late January that the city would be aiming to be carbon-neutral by 2028.
If successful in reaching this target, Nottingham would become the first carbon neutral city in the UK.
Nottingham Green Party wants to ensure that this target leads to action and will hold the council to account if plans on paper do not result in significant carbon-reducing measures.
Local Greens would also like to see similar targets put forward by Gedling and Rushcliffe Borough Councils, to ensure carbon emissions are limited across the city and its environs.
We look forward to further measurable action from Nottinghamshire County Council too, which has a long-term aspiration of carbon neutrality in its carbon management plan.
Extinction Rebellion Nottingham led the campaign to secure a carbon neutral future for Nottingham.
Natalie Hurst, a member of the environmental activist group, welcomed their success, which began with a mass letter writing campaign from Nottingham residents.
She said: “We know that the Council plans to deliver on their new target and will be campaigning for them to take the required actions necessary to do so. Radical cuts in emissions from transport, heating and food consumption are required.”
“We particularly call on the City Council to work urgently for divestment of fossil fuels from the Nottinghamshire Pension Fund, of which City Council employees are members, and to review critically the role that waste incineration at Eastcroft can play in a fully carbon neutral city”, she added.
Nottingham has already led the way in other climate-friendly local measures, investing in one of the UK’s largest electric bus fleets and installing solar panels on 4500 domestic buildings.