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23
Oct
Concerns over North Yorkshire Council’s 'glacial' net zero progress
North Yorkshire Council is facing criticism over its slow progress towards net zero after new figures revealed a rise in emissions from its vehicle fleet.
Members of North Yorkshire Council’s transport, economy, environment and enterprise scrutiny committee have called for a detailed review of the authority’s climate change programme amid concerns that carbon emissions are not falling quickly enough.
The move follows a report revealing that the council’s operational emissions fell by just 3% in 2025/26, while emissions from its vehicle fleet actually increased.
The figures show the authority produced 29,789 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent during the year, compared with 30,751 tonnes in 2024/25.
However, emissions have fallen by only around 3.5% since 2022/23.
‘Greenwashing’
Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Mason accused the Conservative-run administration of “greenwashing”.
He said:
The Tories surprisingly declared a climate emergency in 2022, and we welcomed the pledge, yet nearly five years on, and despite the hard work of dedicated officers, the ruling executive’s commitment now amounts to nothing more than greenwashing as progress has been glacial at best.
This year brought the risks into focus. It is certain that our health, money in our pockets, and the very place we love will all be impacted.
The choice is now. North Yorkshire Council can embrace and lead the journey to a thriving future by taking this seriously, or not.
I say we choose people and planet over political platitudes.
The report revealed that although emissions associated with electricity consumption fell by 23%, around 60% of that reduction resulted from the national electricity grid becoming cleaner rather than action taken directly by the authority.
Officers also found that direct emissions from council buildings and vehicles increased by 1.6%, largely because of higher emissions from its fleet.
Backing for Knaresborough councillor's motion
At Wednesday’s scrutiny meeting, councillors backed a motion, proposed by Liberal Democrat councillor Hannah Gostlow, who represents Knaresborough East, calling for concerns about the slow pace of progress towards both the council’s operational and county-wide net zero ambitions to be reported to full council.
They also requested a dedicated scrutiny meeting to examine emissions reductions already achieved, projects being delivered and those still at the planning stage, alongside options for accelerating progress.
The decision was welcomed by the North Yorkshire Climate Coalition, which represents environmental and community groups across the county.
A spokesperson said:
We know there are very worthwhile projects up and running, but at the end of the day the council’s operational emissions have barely moved in four years and are way off target.
The coalition also claimed that emissions across North Yorkshire as a whole had risen in 2024.
It added:
At present, we’re not convinced that North Yorkshire Council is exerting its influence on the scale required or with a level of urgency that reflects overwhelming public concern and scientific warnings.
Technology delays
The council says work is continuing on a range of initiatives, including improving the energy efficiency of homes, developing renewable energy schemes and reducing emissions from its buildings and vehicle fleet.
The report notes that more than £1.13m has so far been allocated to projects supporting operational decarbonisation.
Despite the committee backing the motion, the Conservative chairman, David Staveley, said he felt the slow progress was due to the technology to facilitate a reduction in CO2 emissions not moving on at the pace it was envisaged when targets were set.
Cllr Staveley said he believed it was “ill-conceived” of councillors to ask for officers to “take their hands off the pump” to produce a report when they were also suggesting staff did not have the resources they needed to reduce emissions.
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