Climate Change

Climate Change Policy Options

Dealing with the worldwide effects of climate change will be one of the biggest challenge we will ever face. 

Rapidly warming temperatures resulting from human activities are changing global weather patterns, bringing: flooding; rising sea levels; droughts; wildfires; melting polar ice; catastrophic storms; and declining biodiversity. 

The Climate Change Act sets a legally binding target for the UK to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

It is now the role of Local Authorities to ensure that all planning polices embed the principles of net zero carbon and fully demonstrate that they will be a part of a net zero carbon future. 

In 2019, Herefordshire Council unanimously declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency, setting a target of carbon neutral by 2030. 

Herefordshire Council agreed to: 

• Accelerate a reduction of emissions and aspire to become carbon neutral by 2030/31; 

• Deliver an updated Carbon Management Plan and Carbon Management Action Plan for council emissions by April 2020; 

• Work with strategic partners, residents and local organisations to develop a revised countywide carbon dioxide reduction strategy aspiring for carbon neutrality by 2030; and 

• Use 100% renewably sourced energy where this provides the best carbon reduction return on investment. 

More emphasis is needed on our resilience to the effects of climate change, with possible modifications suggested to current Policy SS7 (addressing climate change).

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