An action plan featuring measures to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the High Peak has just been published. 

Since declaring a climate emergency almost two years ago, High Peak Borough Council and partners have been working on how to achieve the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. 

Part One of the Climate Change Action Plan sets out how the Council will achieve the net zero target for its own emissions.  

The key areas of focus are: 

• Council housing – increasing efficiency ratings by improving insulation and upgrading heating methods 
• The use of Council buildings – heat and power 
• Travel and transport – by councillors and staff 
• Procurement - the emissions associated with the products and services bought by HPBC   

Councillor Jean Todd, Executive Councillor for Climate Change, Environment and Community Safety, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that this part of the action plan has been agreed – it’s a big step forward in documenting the practical measures the Council is taking to help achieve the goal of eliminating carbon dioxide emissions across the High Peak. 

“Part One of the Action Plan demonstrates how we’re starting to make a real difference by working to ensure our operations and the activities within our control aren’t increasing emissions and we’re pro-actively moving towards significantly reducing them.” 

She said we owe it to ourselves and future generations to do what we can to mitigate the implications of climate change already being seen. 

The council will also be developing staff skills; revising the Council’s policies and strategies to ensure climate change is considered as part of the decision-making process; creating new green strategies; and putting steps in place to measure and report on performance. 

Part Two of the Action Plan is due to be published before the end of the year. It will detail how the Council working with others, including the with High Peak Green Network intends to help the whole Borough achieve net zero emissions.  

Councillor Todd added: “It’s not an easy task but it’s one that we simply cannot afford to ignore. I look forward to the publication of the next stage of the Plan in the coming months and to doing what we can to make sure we are leaving our environment in a better state than we inherited.”   

You can read Part One of the Action Plan, and more about climate change, at www.highpeak.gov.uk/ClimateChange

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