Milton Keynes City Council has published a updated five-year plan to become net zero by 2030 to tackle climate change, its impacts and drive climate leadership for the city.
The UK Government has set a legal deadline for all organisations to be net zero by 2050. This means everyone must remove or offset the greenhouse gases they would usually produce.
Milton Keynes City Council is going further and faster to become fully net zero by 2030 – twenty years ahead of the legal deadline.
Around 4% of greenhouse gas emissions in Milton Keynes come from the City Council, much of those from lighting streets, powering vehicles, and heating buildings.
It declared a climate emergency in 2019, and has already reduced its emissions by 35% through green initiatives including:
- Changing the city’s streetlights to low energy LED versions (98% complete).
- Powering electric waste vehicles by using household waste that can’t be recycled (a third are now electric).
- Reduced energy consumption in council buildings by 80%.
The new Net Zero plan goes even further, with action including:
- Making sure every mile travelled on council business is a no or low emissions mile.
- Putting in new infrastructure so heat produced from managing waste and commercial activities can be used to heat buildings like schools and leisure centres around the city. (The City Council has also published a separate plan to support the set-up of heat networks for the city here)
- Setting new sustainability standards that all contractors will need to meet.
- Preparing Council services for the current and future impacts of climate change.
The City Council will also be planting trees and enhancing green spaces that capture and control greenhouse gases to offset any emissions that can’t be removed.
A city-wide strategy is also under development and will be published later this year.
“We’re working towards net zero well ahead of the national deadline because apart from being the right thing to do from an environmental perspective, it will bring practical benefits to local people and businesses such as helping to lower energy bills.
“Milton Keynes has always been a pioneering place that steps forward to solve problems. Thousands of businesses and organisations around the city are working on their net zero approach, and residents are playing their part; it’s important we do everything we can to encourage these changes.”