In July 2021, Dorset Council adopted a Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy (CEES) which set the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2040.
Since 2019, the council’s carbon footprint has decreased by 26% and current data shows it is on track to reduce council emissions by 40% by 2025.
The council has achieved some of its biggest carbon savings through reducing use of energy in council buildings, emissions from council fleet vehicles and fuel consumption for Dorset Travel.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
It is very encouraging to see the progress being made to reduce the carbon footprint of council operations, and the wide breadth of work being carried out to make sure we deliver on our commitment to become a carbon-neutral council by 2040
The report indicates a need for a growth in renewable energy to cover energy demands as well as nature-based solutions on council land to cut carbon emissions.
In order to meet those targets, a £10 million climate and ecological capital programme has been established, within five years this funding will aim to reduce emissions and support:
- 9,000 more streetlights to use low energy LEDs
- Further retrofitting of buildings with low-carbon technologies
- Expansion of EV charging infrastructure
- Electrification of fleet vehicles
Cllr Ray Bryan added:
The scale of the challenge is enormous and requires a concerted effort to move away from business as usual into a more focused and coordinated approach which embeds climate and ecological action at the core of our operations.
We also recognise the important role the council must play in helping reduce county-wide emissions, and we will continue to work with partners and residents to help move Dorset towards a greener, cleaner future.
