One Merseyside council is to cut its carbon emissions by 39% in an effort to combat climate change.
From April 1, Wirral Council will only be using electricity from renewable sources for all operations, including buildings and streetlights.
This will cut the authority’s carbon emissions by over 5,000 tonnes, almost two fifths of the amount it currently produces.
The move will apply to all council-owned offices and buildings, including children’s centres and libraries, as well as the thousands of streetlights across the borough.
The switch to renewable energy is one part of Wirral Council’s Environment and Climate Emergency Action Plan, formed recently as the way for the council to deliver on its declaration of a Climate Emergency in 2019.
Cllr Liz Grey, chair of the council’s environment and transport committee, said: “Moving to greener energy sources is an essential step for the council to take in order to operate in a more environmentally-friendly way.
“Significant changes, to both the source of our energy and the amount that we use, can help us reach the ambitious target set in the Environment and Climate Emergency Action Plan – of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
“By choosing electrical energy from renewable sources, instead of from fossil fuels, the council will be able to reduce its carbon emissions by approximately a third and help lead the way to a more sustainable future.”
The costs of the move are very small.
Green electricity will cost the council just 0.32% more than non-renewable electricity and will be funded through the Climate Emergency budget.
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Energy from certified renewable sources to satisfy demand from April until March next year has been bought by Wirral Council.
The authority said this is a short-term solution to decrease the council’s carbon footprint while it continues to look for a more long-term source of renewable energy.
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