Folkestone & Hythe District Council's pledge to lead the way to a green future is a step closer thanks to a district-wide carbon plan.
When declaring a climate and ecological emergency in 2019, the council committed to making its own estate and operations net zero by 2030. It also vowed to play a leadership role in helping the community, public and businesses achieve the same goal.
Focusing on five key areas, the district-wide carbon plan (DWCP) has been approved by cabinet, with a final version due to go before members at the end of the year.
Five areas - or pillars - will help encourage, engage and empower local communities, key partner organisations, businesses and residents to achieve the net-zero target. These are:
· Road transport (includes emissions from A-roads and minor roads only)
· Residential buildings (includes emissions from domestic electricity, domestic gas and other fuels)
· Commercial and industrial buildings and processes (includes industrial and commercial energy use - electricity, gas and other fuels - and agricultural fuels)
· Other activities (includes treatment of waste, food production and other elements)
· Land use absorption (includes land use, such as forestry and woodland planting).
As part of the plan, F&HDC will set up and run a Carbon Innovation Lab (CI-Lab), an informal ideas exchange focused on carbon reduction and working with invited representatives from key stakeholder groups from the community, business, special interest groups and academics.
Reporting to the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency Working Group, the CI-Lab will bring the community together to share the challenges ahead and take actions to reduce carbon emissions.
Public drop-in events at locations across the district, online public consultation, a dedicated email address and social media for comments will also from part of the CI-Lab.
Cllr Lesley Whybrow, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: "The decarbonisation of the district will rely on the entire district, its community and businesses being involved and taking positive action to change behaviours and implement actions over the coming years.
"The district-wide carbon plan is a big step towards this and in particular, I am really looking forward to working with the members of the new Carbon Innovation Lab to come up with a community plan to reduce the carbon emissions of the district as a whole."
The CI-Lab is based on a similar initiative that has been running for the last two years in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is now delivering its own carbon-reduction actions alongside and supporting the council's own plans.
Date published: 25 March 2022