City reports latest carbon reduction figures
Manchester City Council said it reduced its carbon emissions by 14% since 2010 but has a way to go to meet its target of 41% reduction by 2020.
New figures published by the council show it reduced its carbon emissions by 7% last year by improving energy use in its buildings, on transport and street lighting.
The latest annual carbon reduction plan report, due to be discussed in next week's neighbourhoods scrutiny committee meeting, states that energy efficiency works such as installing new boilers, smart meters and high-efficiency LED lighting into buildings, as well as ensuring staff use fewer vehicle journeys, has helped achieve good progress over the last year.
Other work included planting 10,000 trees across the city, creating a site of biological importance in Clayton, achieving country park status for Heaton Park, developing climate change training for council staff, and supporting an application to secure £1m funding for the Real Food Wythenshawe Project, enabling people to grow their own food.
This reduction is part of the City Council's long-term commitment to reduce its carbon emissions by 41% by the end of the decade, starting from 2009/10, as part of its contribution to the citywide climate change action plan Manchester – A Certain Future.
The council said it will continue to reduce emissions during the coming year by introducing energy efficiency measures in its buildings, setting up a new textile recycling service for schools, working with other organisations to transform unused land, planting more trees and hedges, and looking into replacing street sign lighting with LEDs.
City council staff have now returned to the Town Hall Extension which has been refurbished to high environmental standards with 20% of the building's energy coming from low carbon sources, which will contribute to future savings. The city council will also work with other Greater Manchester authorities to plan how to make major buildings become more environmentally friendly.
