Involving the whole community will be the key to achieving a Chichester District-wide target to reduce carbon emissions.
Work to reduce carbon emissions by 10% year-on-year until 2025 will now move forward after the Climate Change Action Plan for the Chichester district was approved by councillors on Tuesday 19 January.
The plan, which went out to public consultation last autumn, includes a target for the council to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions by 10% year on year for the same period. To reach this organisational target the council is improving the energy efficiency of its operations and looking to generate more renewable energy on its buildings.
To help achieve the district-wide target, the council will be using its leadership role to help organisations and individuals make the changes needed.
Public engagement will be the key to helping to achieve the district wide target. This will be done using several methods including using existing and new working groups, setting up a Citizens’ Assembly and running a public behaviour change campaign.
The Citizens’ Assembly will be made up of residents carefully selected by external specialists in this area of work to ensure that the demographic profile of the district is fully represented. The assembly will hear evidence from experts so that it can make informed recommendations on the way forward for the council to consider.
The council will also seek to support a diverse range of existing community groups and organisations to progress their ideas for reducing carbon emissions in the district.
Some of the other actions included in the plan are to:
- Deliver measurable carbon reduction in new developments and through the council’s own operations
- Source funding for reduced carbon initiatives
- Promote lifestyle changes, such as energy reduction and using renewable energy sources
- Identify opportunities for increased tree planting, and
- Promote sustainable transport.
Councillor Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment at Chichester District Council says: “I’m extremely pleased that this plan has been approved. It is absolutely clear that people of all ages are extremely concerned about climate change, and as a council we are committed to this action plan. Reducing greenhouse emissions needs to involve everyone in our district and so I am looking forward to seeing our officers, individual residents, community groups and businesses all coming together to tackle this issue and make life better for the district as a whole.
“It won’t be easy, and public engagement is absolutely crucial to this plan, but I am confident that together we can help bring about many positive changes for our district and achieve substantial cuts in carbon emissions in the district.”
