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Four years to being carbon neutral

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By Euan Maxwell
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Four years to being carbon neutral

COUNCILLORS are set to be updated on the progress Dumfries and Galloway Council has made towards implementing its ambitious plan to turn the region carbon neutral by 2025.

The Economy and Resources Committee will meet next Tuesday, January 26, where members will discuss steps taken by the local authority to reduce its carbon footprint since a climate emergency was declared in June 2019.

They will also be asked to adopt a ‘strategic plan’ looking to the next phase of the project, which outlines areas of the region requiring prioritisation and details how CO2 reductions can be made effectively.

The plan follows research carried out by the council to consider actions that would reduce both direct emissions which relate directly to council activities, such as waste, transport and buildings, as well as indirect emissions which the council looks to influence and work with to reduce the regions overall carbon emissions.

Ahead of the meeting, Dougie Campbell, the Council’s Environment Champion said: “The Climate Emergency Declaration has proved pivotal in identifying the scope and the extent of the challenge ahead and shows that the council can support significant changes, but further work and collaboration across all sectors is required.

“The increased focus through the Declaration has also provided us with the opportunity for early discussions with key sectors, such as agriculture, forestry and the economic leadership group, to showcase and demonstrate the activities that the council is undertaking to reduce its own CO2e footprint and how it can collaboratively and constructively work with others to support and facilitate their journey towards net zero.

“If the council can implement the assumptions and activities recommended, we can reduce our own CO2e emissions by nearly 80 per cent from the 2018/19 baseline to just under 5000 tonnes of CO2e, which will be a tremendous achievement.”

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