WILTSHIRE Council is falling behind on its climate emergency commitments.

That's according to a report which identifies where the council is falling behind, making five "key recommendations" on how it can "accelerate delivery".

The report, produced by the Wiltshire Climate Alliance (WCA), marks the second anniversary of the council declaring a climate emergency.

In response, the council says it welcomes the report, but says "it fails to recognise much of the progress we have made".

'Little has been achieved'

WCA say that, two years after Wiltshire Council sought to make the county carbon neutral by 2030, little has been achieved".

Its report says that while the council has made some progress on its own greenhouse gas emissions, it is not acting with the "urgency required to deliver meaningful reductions" by 2030, and claims that the council continues to support developments that will increase emissions.

It says "urgent action now is critical if the planet is to avoid dangerous climate change".

The report says: "After two years, the council has not completed a strategy for reducing emissions, nor has it set any quantified reduction targets.

"Meanwhile, it continues to approve new housing built to less than carbon zero standards, despite having the power to require this now.

"It continues to develop major new road schemes and urban extensions that will significantly increase emissions and increase dependency on private cars".

Bill Jarvis, of WCA, said: "Wiltshire Council already has the power to do much of what is needed to achieve its climate emergency goals. There is no time to waste.

"The council needs to start treating climate change as the emergency it has already acknowledged, and act quickly and decisively to bring about the radical change required."

WCA recommends the council urgently take following five actions to accelerate delivery and achieve the required reductions in emissions.

To read the five actions and the report in full, click here.

Cllr Richard Clewer..Election count for Salisbury Constituency and Devizes Constituency, held at Five Rivers Leisure Centre in Salisbury..General Election 2019 DC9356P87 Picture by Tom Gregory...

Cllr Richard Clewer..Election count for Salisbury Constituency and Devizes Constituency, held at Five Rivers Leisure Centre in Salisbury..General Election 2019 DC9356P87 Picture by Tom Gregory...

'Report fails to recognise progress'

Wiltshire Council has responded to the report by saying it "fails to recognise much of the progress we have made".

Councillor Richard Clewer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate, said: “There are also some inaccuracies; for example, we do publish an annual greenhouse gas report; we are taking material action to reduce carbon emissions, both as a council and as a county – indeed, we are projected to have reduced the council’s carbon emissions by 80 per cent since 2013/14, while countywide emissions have fallen by 37 per cent between 2005 and 2018".

Cllr Clewer added: “We have a good working relationship with WCA and will continue to engage with them, other organisations, our communities and businesses as we work towards our aim to make Wiltshire carbon neutral by 2030.

"We can make a significant impact as a local authority, but we can’t do this alone, which is why we need to work closely with partners, communities and businesses to achieve this goal.

“Addressing our climate ambitions, both as an organisation and for Wiltshire as a whole, is a priority for Wiltshire Council.”

To read Wiltshire Council's response to the report in full, click here.

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