Edinburgh Council has warned it will be "extremely challenging" to meet its current climate targets after over two-thirds of the authority's three-year carbon budget was used up in two years.
The ambitious goal to become a net zero city by 2030 - reducing emissions by 100 per cent through de-carbonisation of transport and buildings, increased recycling rates and other proposed actions - looks increasingly difficult with the council facing almost £80 million in cuts next year.
A climate report revealed the council's emissions totalled 65,527 tonnes of carbon dioxide or equivalent (tCO2e) in 2021/22, which represents 69 per cent of the authority's cumulated carbon budget for the two years up to April 2023.
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And to avoid breaching its pollution limits the council will need to cut its emissions by 11 per cent in 2022/23, compared to a reduction of just 0.2 per cent recorded in the two years up to April.
The report plainly stated this will be "extremely challenging to meet".
The latest figures raised eyebrows as they went before Edinburgh's policy and sustainability committee on Thursday (November 17).
Quizzing council officials on the data, Lib Dem councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie said: "This report says we're probably going to miss our target for the three year budget that was set.
"Are we going to meet this target or not? If not, how much do you think we're going to be missing that and what are we doing to get as close as possible to that target?"
Paula McLeay, head of policy and insight at Edinburgh City Council, said: "What this is showing is that, as we already knew, year on year this target gets more challenging and we have always transparently reported that this is not an easy task that we've set ourselves.
"The actions are focused on our biggest emissions; buildings, transport, energy and I think they're laid out in a lot of detail."
Ms McLeay said the long-term plans to overhaul transport, housing and infrastructure take time to "materialise in emissions reductions".
She described the change as a 'non-linear transition to net zero that is going to get more difficult year on year'.
"This is a long-term target, it's ten years, so we would expect peaks and troughs but I think what we are signalling is just how challenging the next period is going to be," she said.
"There is an expectation that is it going to be incredibly challenging. But it would be very difficult at this point to predict exactly what that looks like."
Cllr Ben Parker, Greens, said: "If we want to meet our climate targets - and I suggest that we do, because if we don't that would be a problem - then further resources and investment will be required."
Council leader Cammy Day said the authority is in the midst of a "difficult resourcing period" with a funding shortfall of £76m in the 2022/23 budget. He added some ring-fenced cash which goes towards climate action "will need to come from somewhere else".
"We'll have to make difficult decisions and I'm sure we'll all join together to challenge our governments to fund areas like the climate emergency."
In June chief executive Andrew Kerr warned the council will need to "move at least twice as fast" and "de prioritise other things" to keep on track for the net zero by 2030 target.
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