Exeter welcomes Devon Carbon Plan but remains committed to Net Zero 2030
Published: 4 November 2022
Exeter’s Lead Councillor for Climate Change has welcomed the publication of the Devon Carbon Plan.
The Plan set out how Devon will reduce the carbon emissions across the county to become Net Zero Carbon by 2050, in line with the Government’s national deadline.
But the City Council has said it remains committed to its own plan to support the city to achieving the same target by 2030.
Cllr Duncan Wood, Lead Councillor for Climate Change, said he welcomed the Devon Carbon Plan and the substantial work done with stakeholders and involvement from communities across the county to produce it.
He said Exeter remains firmly committed to achieving Net Carbon Zero by 2030 – 20 years earlier than the plan set out by Devon and the national deadline.
Cllr Wood said Exeter will need to work closely with the County Council on areas where Devon has responsibility, like transport, to help fulfil the city’s ambitious climate targets.
He said: “In supporting Devon’s plan, we have added a request to the county that they treat us like an innovation zone, where Exeter is treated differently, and if they work with us to identify different initiatives that will bring down the emissions within the city in areas of their control ahead of 2030.
“Transport for example creates around 22 per cent of the emissions across the city as a whole. So it’s important that we focus on that and need the County Council as the highways authority to help deliver the reductions needed.
He added: “We’ve got high aspiration and a hard target to reach, but it’s important to make the reductions well in advance of the national deadline. That is by no means an easy task - it’s massive. It does involve all of us in the city understanding the issues and doing what we can to reduce our own personal emissions.
“It can be as simple as reducing the amount we use our cars, using public transport, walking, perhaps, and not eating meat for one of our meals during the week.
“Looking at the amount of energy we use within our own homes, switching things off when they are on standby, changing the lighting that we use.
“There’s lots of different ways that we can reduce our emissions, and there'll be more information coming forward to help people to make these decisions as we as we move forward towards 2030.”
The Devon Carbon Plan can be viewed on the Devon Climate Emergency website.
The Net Zero Exeter 2030 Plan can be viewed on the Exeter City Futures website.