The very latest updates on how well Reading as a whole and the Council are responding to the climate emergency were published this week.
Overall, they paint a very positive picture. There has been 54% reduction in carbon emissions in Reading since 2005, which is the 12th largest reduction in the country.
The Council’s own carbon footprint, which the carbon emissions the Council is directly responsible for, has been cut by 72.7% since 2008/09. The Council’s use of fossil fuels has been reduced by 57% over the same period.
A huge amount of work has been carried out, and continues to take place, to reduce carbon emissions at the Council’s own buildings.
If you’ve visited or passed by the Civic Offices recently, you may have seen the scaffolding and works happening to replace the existing gas heating system with air source heat pumps. A project to upgrade the Hexagon Theatre’s heating system is also under way.
Aside from being hugely improved facilities, heat pumps and solar panels have been installed in the brand new Rivermead and Palmer Park Leisure Centres, which has helped achieve a 40% reduction in carbon emissions across the town’s four leisure centres.
Work to make our Bennet Road site a net zero depot is also progressing well. You will probably have seen our new bin collection lorries which are now all fully electric, as is the Council’s entire smaller vehicles fleet.
Much of this investment, with the help of Government funding, will not only benefit the environment but also save Reading’s Council tax payers money by reducing energy and fuel bills.
This is all good news of course, but to put it in a little bit of perspective, the Council’s own carbon emissions only account for 1.5% of Reading’s overall emissions. We therefore need the help and support of other organisations and businesses if we are to achieve the town’s ambitions of being a net-zero borough.
Some organisations are being very proactive in this area, including the University of Reading which has been named Sustainable University of the Year by The Times. And we would like to see more businesses committing and contributing to Reading’s net-zero goals.
But what can also make a big difference is if we all take actions as individuals, no matter how small they are.
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when you look at the extent of the climate emergency, but the worst thing we can do is nothing. By making small changes in our lives we can all play a part in protecting our planet.
We might change the way we travel and walk or cycle for short journey or make use of Reading’s excellent bus and rail networks for longer trips.
We can look at ways of eating more sustainably, explore the possibility of making home improvements which can reduce energy use and bills, and recycle, reduce and reuse where we can. It was heartening to hear that Reading’s household recycling rate last year was 50%, which is well above the national average.
I know many of you are already doing these things, but if you are looking for inspiration the Met Office, who are partnering with the Council in its Local Climate Action campaign this month, has advice on its website at (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate/getclimateready/everyday-actions.
Keep an eye on the Council’s social media channels for more tips and inspiring climate action stories throughout November.
Cllr Liz Terry is the leader of Reading Borough Council
