More trees, LED lighting and low carbon heating are among the energy reducing measures being implemented by North Tyneside council but more is needed to help the authority reach its carbon neutrality target.
The council declared a climate emergency in July 2019 and pledged to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint by 50% by 2023 and become carbon neutral by 2050. The carbon neutrality target was later brought forward to 2030.
The authority has also made further commitments to become a greener borough. Cabinet member for the environment, coun Sandra Graham delivered the update to North Tyneside’s cabinet last night with help from her “small but perfectly formed team”.
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The environmental update included works such as the planting of almost 9,000 trees in the Borough as part of the North East Community Forest. The council has also begun a £4.3m programme to convert almost 20,000 street lights to energy efficient LED.
In addition the council has completed the installation of low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in four of the Authority’s most carbon intensive buildings, according to the update.
Mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn said: “I just want to say your small but perfectly formed team have done a good job. Many many residents asked us when this was going to be returned and I am sure you did that as quickly as possible.
“At the end of the day as far as I am concerned we need everybody to buy into this, because the council cannot do this on its own.”
Mayor Redfearn went on to say the authority would give “a jolly good try” at achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
Alan Steele, Green Party campaigner, said: "The North Tyneside Green Party welcomes the eventual publication of North Tynside Counil’s ‘Carbon Net-Zero 2030 Action Plan’ and we are pleased to see that they have succumbed to our pressure to bring forward the date from the initial 2050 target. We are disappointed to see the name change from ‘Climate Emergency Action Plan’ to ‘Net-Zero’.
“We hope this is not an indication of a dilution of ambition. Facing up to the climate emergency is about far more than achieving net zero.
“We need to be improving biodiversity, putting mitigation and adaptation in place and building infrastructure resilience. For example, by ensuring housing developments are not only energy efficient but also include the ‘greening’ of developments will protect against; flooding, reduce ‘urban heat islands’, improve psychological and physical wellbeing and develop strong community ties where people can act together for the betterment of our environment.
“We would like to see the council being more imaginative and bold, for instance by using its preferential borrowing powers to help homeowners and resident groups enact environmental change. The NTC plan is strong on ambition but we need to see action and tangible progress towards these aims.
“We will offer to work with the council to help make the Plan successful - and we will hold the Council to account where promises are not met. This is an emergency and too much time has been wasted already.”
