News
The framework for the council’s Sustainability Strategy has been published today (Wednesday 1 December). The plan includes targets for Barnet to be net zero as an organisation by 2030, and as a borough as soon as possible after that - and by 2050 at the latest.
Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Dan Thomas, said: “It is imperative that we set bold sustainability targets and take action to ensure we meet them while also building a thriving borough for the future, which supports our environment, our residents, and our economy.
“These proposals build on the many actions Barnet has already taken to improve sustainability in the borough. The framework identifies Barnet’s existing carbon footprint and sets out the areas where we will all need to work together to achieve our targets. The council is taking immediate action to work with its supply chain, and will also support residents, businesses and partners to implement their own sustainability measures. Making sustainable changes will not only contribute to local and national net zero targets but will also have long-term financial benefits for us all.”
The paper will be presented to Policy and Resources Committee on 9 December and will lay the foundations for the council’s forthcoming Sustainability Strategy. It sets out how the council intends to tackle climate change and respond to recent agreements reached at COP26. It includes proposals to:
- Improve the energy efficiency of the borough’s housing and buildings by retrofitting existing social housing stock by 2030 where possible
- Explore the use of renewable energy sources across Barnet’s property portfolio
- Substantially increase the number of electric vehicle charge points throughout the borough by 2030
- Establish a borrowing scheme which will give residents the opportunity to borrow household items as and when needed, reducing waste and supporting a culture of reusing
- Support residents and businesses to help make sustainable choices, including signposting to available grants and government schemes
Internally, over 95% of the organisation’s carbon emissions are attributed to its supply chain. The paper puts forward plans to update the council’s Procurement Strategy to include sustainability criteria and ensure it is operationally net zero by 2030.
Following approval of the framework, next steps will include wide consultation across the borough to give residents, businesses and partners an opportunity to help shape the Sustainability Strategy.
Read the Sustainability Framework in full, find out more about the actions the council has already taken, and the commitments for a sustainable future at: www.barnet.gov.uk/sustainability.
NOTES:
The full papers submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee will be published here on Wednesday 1 December: https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=692&MId=10890&Ver=4
An overview of Barnet’s carbon baseline is included in the papers, which demonstrates that the largest contributor to the organisation’s carbon footprint is its supply chain – equating to over 95% of emissions. The largest emitter for Barnet as a place was stationary energy (primarily buildings) accounting for 58% of the borough’s emissions.
Barnet Council has already undertaken many sustainable actions, including retrofitting some council-owned housing and building stock, committing to developing a net zero town at Brent Cross by 2030, installing over 150 electric vehicle charge points to date, replacing the borough’s entire street light network with LED bulbs, and tackling flood risk via the Silk Stream Flood and Resilience Innovation (SSFRI) project.
Find out more at www.barnet.gov.uk/sustainability