Councillors Richard Cooper and David Chance from the North Yorkshire County Council have been leading the charge on environmental legislation. They will call upon the North Yorkshire County Council to commit to producing it’s own net carbon reduction plan. The idea is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 – 20 years before the national goal of 2050.

Carbon Neutrality by 2030

The aim of this exercise is to give a clear and consistent message – that North Yorkshire is reliable, sustainable and responsible for it’s environment and the health of both residents and tourists. It’s plain to see that North Yorkshire offers some of the best unspoilt natural beauty in the UK, and the council want to ensure that the ecological and environmental factors remain in a place that won’t damage the region, while allowing the economy to thrive. Their answer to this problem is a simple one. By ensuring that environmental standards are met before the national requirements, North Yorkshire will lead the way in demonstrating that sustainable development is achievable, and set the standard for other counties to follow.

Ensuring Success

Their plan has already been put before a Scrutiny Task Group, and will look at the council’s current carbon footprint, and what can be improved upon. The greenhouse gases and energy consumption will be some of the biggest talking points in these discussions. The council will also look to establish a new climate change plan, with set short, medium, and long-term priorities. There will also be measures put in place to ensure that climate change is a top priority, and that considerations to the environment will be integrated into all aspects of council operations and policies.

North Yorkshire’s Leader, Councillor Carl Les, stated: “We are lucky to call North Yorkshire our home and the work of these new groups will undoubtedly join up the good work we have done, help us understand where we are and what more we can do and deliver us a more robust structure to protect our environment in a more formal way. “These are actions, not just words.”