The scale of the challenge faced by councils to slash their carbon emissions has again been highlighted - this time in a report about "net zero". The Welsh Government wants the public sector in Wales to be net zero by 2030, which means greatly reducing carbon emissions and offsetting those that can't be eliminated, by 2030.
Given the number of often old and energy-hungry buildings like schools and hospitals the public sector operates, the number of vehicles it runs and the miles and miles of street lights it owns, achieving this would be no small feat. Swansea Council has now put a price on becoming net zero - £187 million. And it said only £4 million has been budgeted for.
To add to the complexity, the public sector is now expected to quantify their indirect as well as direct emissions, such as those generated by their suppliers. For Swansea Council, which has commissioned several large-scale projects like the new indoor arena, these indirect emissions have multiplied their overall emissions nearly sevenfold.
