West Northamptonshire Council signs up to net zero pledge

West Northamptonshire Council leader Jonathan Nunn said the authority wants to set bold climate change goals

A council has signed-up to a pledge committing it to cut its carbon emissions to net zero by 2030.

The UK100 Net Zero pledge also means West Northamptonshire Council should reduce the emissions of residents and businesses to net zero by 2045.

That target would put the authority five years ahead of the government's 2050 net zero aim.

The council's leader Jonathan Nunn said West Northants wanted to set "bold, climate change-related goals".

The national pledge, which focuses on tackling the climate emergency and reducing carbon emissions, means the Conservative-run council will be able to tap-in to the knowledge of 100 other authorities up and down the country.

Mr Nunn said: "We need to make the future of West Northants sustainable, not just environmentally but economically and socially too.

"We're setting bold, climate change-related goals, and if everybody works together we can do it."

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He added the council was developing a sustainability strategy and would be analysing how it measured its carbon footprint, and that of households and other organisations in the district.

"This is a really important agenda, we're committed to it, and we look forward to working with every resident and business across West Northants to achieve these important goals," he said.

Christopher Hammond, UK100's network membership director, said by committing to the targets the council "has demonstrated that it is facing these challenges and playing a decisive role in tackling climate change".