Launching a climate café, reducing paper use and delivering 24 electric charging points all feature in East Cambridgeshire District Council’s latest Environmental Action Plan.

Every year the District Council sets itself 20 challenging actions to help it achieve its goal to become net carbon zero by 2040.

The latest action plan includes taking direct action to reduce the Council’s own emissions, helping others to reduce their emissions and supporting nature recovery in East Cambridgeshire.

Initiatives for the following year include:

• Delivering 24 electric vehicle charging points in three East Cambridgeshire car parks
• A return of the successful Create an Orchard programme which aims to capture carbon while creating at least 26 publicly accessible orchards across the district
• Working with East Cambridgeshire Partnership Forum to set up a climate café where anyone with an interest in the environment can meet up to discuss new and exciting ideas for addressing climate change
• A commitment to make home energy improvements worth £1.75 million to its existing housing stock 

The council will also look at:

• Installing photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on its E-Space North office building, to generate at least half its electricity needs over a year
• Targeting a 20 per cent reduction in paper use
• And exploring the potential to use low carbon fuel, such as HVO in its waste and recycling lorries.

East Cambridgeshire District Council first declared a climate emergency in 2019. Since then its annual 20-point action plan has helped it save more than 76 tonnes of carbon, helping to mitigate climate change and boost the natural environment in the district.

Councillor Julia Huffer, chair of the Council’s Operational Services Committee, said: “Climate change is real and it is here now. By working together with residents we have an opportunity to be at the forefront of the green agenda.

“We will do this by coming up with practical, creative and environmentally friendly ways that I am confident will take us on a journey to be net carbon zero by 2040.”