Monitoring our greenhouse gas emissions
The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is increasing. Increasing greenhouse gases will cause catastrophic climate change, resulting in rising sea levels and more frequent and severe extreme weather events. Huge cuts to greenhouse gas emissions are needed to combat the climate crisis.
We've committed to reducing our operational greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030. We aim to have reduced the greenhouse gas emissions we produce from our buildings and services to as close to zero as possible, and those which remain will be balanced by offsetting measures.
For us to achieve this target, we must understand:
- how much greenhouse gas emissions we are emitting
- where those emissions are coming from
We can then monitor and track greenhouse gas emissions over time. We can also use this information to develop science-based targets for us to reduce emissions. As with financial budgets, we want a carbon budget in every area of work for the council. This is to make sure we do not emit more than our targets allow and that we achieve our ambition of net zero by 2030.