Sustainability and Climate Crisis Strategy for St Albans District is launched
A new sustainability and climate crisis strategy for St Albans District with the aim of achieving net zero by 2030 has been launched.
The strategy covers the years from now until 2027 and sets out measures to cut harmful emissions and improve the local environment.
St Albans City and District Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and produced a strategy with more than 100 actions for 2020 to 2023.
Last year, Councillors also declared a sustainability and biodiversity emergency, recognising the urgent need to protect and enhance nature.
Now the Planning Policy and Climate Committee has approved an updated strategy to progress all this vital work.
The strategy includes further initiatives to improve the sustainability of the Council’s own operations and services with its emissions having been cut by 52% since 2009.
It also sets out commitments and proposals to:
- Boost the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings around the District.
- Promote active and sustainable transport to improve air quality.
- Reduce waste, encourage recycling and campaign for sustainable food production.
- Enhance the natural environment and allow biodiversity to flourish.
- Conserve precious water resources and ease flooding risks.
Councillor Raj Visram, Lead for Climate, said:
Since declaring a climate emergency, we have made great strides forward and taken many positive actions.
For example, we have planted many thousands of trees and spent more than £20 million on improving the energy efficiency of our social housing properties with more work scheduled.
Our parking services team now has an all-electric vehicle fleet and 18 more electric vehicle charging points have been installed around the District.
We have also helped to set up the St Albans Home Energy Support Service which provides free advice to households on making their homes more energy efficient and how to obtain funding.
However, we are not complacent and this updated strategy will further boost our efforts to tackle the climate emergency and create a carbon neutral District.
It highlights the areas where we will be making major efforts in the years ahead to promote sustainability and I am sure we will have the support of our residents and businesses as we continue with this priority project.
I would urge all those who are passionate about their local environment and the need to make improvements to take the time to read this strategy. We need everyone to buy into what we are doing.
Among the new measures the strategy commits the Council to is a campaign to increase opportunities for the community to become involved in its climate work.
St Albans Greener Together will be launched soon with the aim of helping residents, schools, community groups and businesses find solutions to environmental issues.
The sustainability and climate crisis strategy for 2024/27 can be viewed in full here and a detailed list of the actions to be undertaken by the Council is available here.
Media contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.