Council brings forward carbon neutral plans

Councillor Tony Pearce described the amendment as "good progress"

Stafford Borough Council has announced plans to bring forward the date it becomes carbon neutral by five years.

It comes after the local authority declared a climate emergency in 2019 and previously set a target date of 2040 to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

Green councillors Doug Rouxel and Emma Carter proposed changing the target to 2035 and during a full council meeting on Tuesday the change was approved.

Fellow Green Party member Tony Pearce, the council's cabinet member for climate action and nature recovery, said: "Good progress has been made but the fact is global warming is progressing at a faster rate than anticipated."

He added: "We now have a climate change strategy and action plan. We need and want to be more ambitious than we have been previously."

The council's opposition group leader, Jeremy Pert, raised concerns the proposal had not been costed.

"While I accept climate change is happening, I think our residents expect us to act with diligence and common sense", he said.

"The problem I have with the proposal is it seems there is no borough council costed plan.

"What's being asked this evening is to step up to something we don't understand and the consequences of that would seem to me to be absolutely foolhardy."

But Rouxel responded and said: "When the original date of 2040 was set there wasn't a cost plan put in place.

"It clearly says [2035] is an aspiration target – if we don't hit it we are not going to be fined for it.

"It is going to impact us in my lifetime. It is one of the most important things this council can do."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.