26 Feb 2024
A new district sustainability and climate crisis strategy which aims to achieve net zero by 2030 needs greater urgency and maximum public engagement to succeed.
That is the warning of Green councillor Juliet Voisey in response to the strategy for 2024-2027, which sets out measures to cut harmful emissions and improve the local environment.
The plans also include commitments and proposals to:
- Boost the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings around the district;
- Promote active and sustainable transport to improve air quality;
- Reduce waste, encourage recycling and campaign for sustainable food production;
- Enhance the natural environment and allow biodiversity to flourish
- Conserve precious water resources and ease flooding risks.
But Cllr Voisey said although the Greens welcomed the ambition of the strategy, SADC must match it with enough financial and human resource to achieve its aims.
“The council must also act with greater urgency and maximum public engagement to give our society optimal resilience in the face of rapid and unpredictable climate change.
“Crucially, there are almost no measurements or timescales in this strategy. As a result, it’s not actually a strategy in any real sense, it’s more like a wish list. It does not set out how the actions listed in it will actually contribute to sustainability and climate change objectives, nor which are most important.
“There are numerous areas where the council could be doing more to create a greener, cleaner, more sustainable city and district, including large scale solar installations on buildings, electric car charging points, restrictions on polluting lorries, tackling bus and lorry idling, reducing plastic use, promoting sustainable food at markets and events, and a focus on reducing waste, not just recycling it. These are all things Greens are working on and we are pushing the council to do more.”
Cllr Raj Visram, SADC lead for climate, explained the thinking behind the new strategy: “Since declaring a climate emergency, we have made great strides forward and taken many positive actions.
“For example, we have planted many thousands of trees and spent more than £20 million on improving the energy efficiency of our social housing properties with more work scheduled.
“Our parking services team now has an all-electric vehicle fleet and 18 more electric vehicle charging points have been installed around the district.
“We have also helped to set up the St Albans Home Energy Support Service which provides free advice to households on making their homes more energy efficient and how to obtain funding.
“However, we are not complacent and this updated strategy will further boost our efforts to tackle the climate emergency and create a carbon neutral district.
“It highlights the areas where we will be making major efforts in the years ahead to promote sustainability and I am sure we will have the support of our residents and businesses as we continue with this priority project.
“I would urge all those who are passionate about their local environment and the need to make improvements to take the time to read this strategy. We need everyone to buy into what we are doing.”
