Our route to carbon neutral
We have made a commitment to becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. It is a leading priority within our framework for Climate Action in West Oxfordshire. We will set an example of good practice and hope to influence partners and stakeholders by implementing raised standards and sharing the lessons learned.
Carbon Action plan
In March 2024, the Council approved the latest version of the Carbon Action Plan. The Plan has been updated to set out the Council's pathway for achieving its carbon neutral target. It also accounts for additional emissions and removed completed actions.
The Carbon Action Plan:
- Sets out the Council's pathway for achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, highlighting where there is greatest opportunity to influence change and reduce climate impact.
- The priority is to minimise carbon emissions that inset and/or offset any residual emissions by verified means.
- It is a high ambition pathway which is reliant on external factors, for example the availability of funding, national policy and progress in technological innovations in key areas, as well as embedding carbon reduction across the Council.
- The Plan includes ten priority actions to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from council activities, buildings and services. These actions relate to prevention, buildings, water, waste, transport, procurement and offsetting/insetting residual emissions.
- Actions will be worked up into projects by various teams and be brought forward for approval to align with the roadmap to 2030.
- As well carbon reductions, actions will also deliver co-benefits, for example avoiding offset costs, providing cost savings and investment returns, increasing thermal comfort, reducing water stress and upskilling staff.
Carbon Action Plan 2024 to 2030 - pdf - 4.67 Mb
Greenhouse gas emissions reports
As outlined in the Carbon Action Plan above, we report on the greenhouse gas emissions from council activities on an annual basis. These reports summarise the sources of council emissions by scope and by location, and progress made towards our target of being carbon neutral by 2030. The baseline year is April 2019 to March 2020.
Impact Assessment Tool
Every Cabinet, Council or Committee report includes climate implications as part of the standard template. The Council is currently trialling an Impact Assessment Tool, which means that the wider climate, sustainability and social value implications of decision making are taken into account. The tool will guide the development of projects, policies etc. by ensuring matters such as greenhouse gases and carbon emissions, sustainable transport and opportunities for ecological enhancement and sustainable food production are taken into account. This should stimulate thinking and in some cases lead to improvements in what or how something is done. Reports will then include the assessment produced by the tool to inform decisions.