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Dec 2021

Last Updated: 21/12/2021

Environment

'Disappointing and vague': Harrogate council's plan to tackle climate change criticised

by Thomas Barrett

| 22 Dec, 2021

Three Harrogate district green groups have criticised Harrogate Borough Council's revised plan to cut carbon emissions in the district. They say the plan does not go far enough and is light on details.

Three Harrogate district green groups have criticised Harrogate Borough Council's revised plan to cut carbon emissions in the district, calling it "disappointing" and "vague".

The council has launched a public consultation on its draft Carbon Reduction Strategy, which will replace the original document that was first published in 2019.

HBC has a goal of 2038 when the Harrogate district will have a net zero-carbon economy. This means the district would put no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than what it takes out.

As a major landowner and employer in the district, the council says it will be a leader in reducing emissions.

The draft document focuses on eight 'strategic themes' including retrofitting council housing in the district, encouraging the take up of electric vehicles and planting trees.

However, according to Zero Carbon Harrogate, Harrogate District Cycle Action and Harrogate & District Green Party, the plan does not go far enough, is light on details and has no clear targets.

ZCH said it had "major concerns" about the document.

It said:

'We do not consider the current draft statregy to be stringent enough to deliver HBC's target of making their own operations net zero carbon by 2038, and we have some major concerns about key elements and details that are missing from the strategy. We are concerned that there is a lack of recognition of the scale of change required to reach net zero and consequently a lack of ambition. The strategy is based on the premiss that HBC can achieve the objectives by undertaking actions using a business-as-usual model rather than by setting out Page | 2 the actions needed to reach net zero carbon and showing how these could be achieved over the remaining 17-year timescale.

"We are concerned that there are neither quantifiable actions, nor measurable success criteria included. No targets are set for either HBC or the public to gauge whether the objectives laid out in this strategy are being met."

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Harrogate and District Green Party chair Andy Rickard accused the council of not taking the climate emergency seriously.

He said:

"The council’s draft Carbon Reduction Strategy is its third attempt at responding to the climate emergency and only emphasises that the council does not understand the meaning of the word ‘emergency’ because it has taken four years to come only this far after the first draft was prepared.”

“Planning permission for housing is still being given which approve gas heating. This only adds 'petrol to the fire', and a new grand leisure centre project for Knaresborough, which may not be completed for several years, still envisages gas as a main source of heat. These two examples from many recent HBC decisions, exemplify our concern that the word 'emergency' is not being taken seriously."

Harrogate District Cycle Action also criticised the document, saying it has "no ambition or rigour".

"Unfortunately, the strategy gives no evidence that the potential carbon savings of any of the projects mentioned, gives no timescales and no recognition of what projects would have maximum impact and should therefore be prioritised. In addition, there are no specific actions in the document, just vague non-specific actions. Thus, the strategy appears to have no ambition or rigour."

Have your say

Conservative councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said:

"Climate change and the impact we’re all having on the planet, is at the forefront of people minds and rightly so.

"Our draft carbon reduction strategy has a number of aims and objectives but this can only be achieved by working together.

"I'd urge everyone to share their views on our draft carbon reduction strategy so that we can help deliver net-zero carbon emission by 2038."

You can share your views on the strategy on the council's website. The consultation closes on January 2.

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