North Yorkshire plan to tackle climate change set to be approved

Eggborough power station in North Yorkshire reflected in floodwater from the River Aire in 2020

Projects to curb climate change in North Yorkshire are expected to get approval from councillors later.

Agriculture produces a third of the county's CO2 emissions and households account for 19%, council data showed.

Work has already begun to install LED street lights and trial electric vehicles, but other measures will include increased use of solar power.

Council leader Carl Les said the plans were a "defining moment in our fight against climate change".

The climate change strategy will also encourage more people to travel by bicycle or foot, promote better insulation in homes and work on reducing the use of fossil fuels, according to North Yorkshire Council.

It will be introduced after a council consultation received more than 1,700 responses with people "overwhelmingly" in favour of reducing harmful carbon dioxide emissions.

Agriculture accounts for a third of North Yorkshire's CO2 emissions, the council says

Figures showed that North Yorkshire produced 5,829 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2020.

Transport accounted for 28% of the emissions.

Councillor Les said: "We do know that we, as a council, cannot do this on our own.

"Every business, organisation, public sector body and community needs to play its part. By working together, we can ensure we make our climate ambitions a reality for everyone."

Household carbon emissions are responsible for 19% of the total output, council data shows

In January councillors backed a bid for York and North Yorkshire to become the first carbon negative region in the country, meaning more carbon dioxide emissions would be removed from the atmosphere than are emitted.