£4M IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
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In 2019, Telford & Wrekin Council declared a climate emergency. It is now working, along with partners, to go carbon neutral by 2030 – and to reduce single-use plastic across the council by 2023.
numbers of schools are encouraging pupils to use bicycles or scooters to get to school, rather than travelling by car, bringing both health benefits and reducing CO 2 emissions. Nicola Moody is the head teacher at Newport CE Junior School, where Telford & Wrekin Council is covering half the £3,000 costs of a new bike shed for pupils to safely and securely store their cycles and scooters. She explained: “We have always encouraged pupils to cycle or scoot, and run proficiency and safety courses with the council. During the annual Big Pedal school cycling challenge we
The importance the council places on the issue of climate change is underlined by its commitment to spend £4m – a quarter of its £16m additional investment in the borough in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – on a range of sustainability projects. This means increased solar panels on buildings, increasing use of energy efficient LED lighting and electric vehicles, while businesses and community groups will be supported in their own efforts to fight against climate change. To reach net zero by 2030 in both council operations and the emissions across the borough, money will be invested in reducing energy use and developing renewable sources to meet residual demands. Engaging with young people is a key element in the drive to tackle climate change. Earlier in the year, children from local primary schools took part in a consultation on the Borough Partnership Action Plan around climate change. The children workshopped ideas and fed back on the areas they cared most about. Alongside major climate projects across the borough, increasing
£4m
climate change.
TOTALLY TELFORD
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