Witney News - Tackling climate change

Tackling climate change

West Oxfordshire District Council is exploring ways to cut its 'carbon footprint' and reduce carbon emissions across West Oxfordshire as part of an on-going commitment to tackle climate change.

The Council recently completed an 18-month review to calculate its 'carbon footprint' and identify key areas to help reduce it.

The review showed that the Council created 1,133 tonnes of emissions during 2006/07 from its corporate buildings, vehicle fleet, business mileage and on-site waste.

Steps have already been taken by the Council to cut its emissions, such as introducing a Green Travel Plan and 'Green Office Champions' to oversee recycling and energy-saving within the Council, and the review findings are now being used to carry out further work.

Areas such as the delivery of Council services, procurement of goods and services, water use, private sector housing and planning will all be reviewed as part of this.

The overall aim is not only to reduce carbon emissions from its own building services, but also to support local communities and businesses to do the same. A Member's Climate Change Working Party is being set up to develop a Climate Change Policy for the Council to look at ways of cutting its own emissions, along with those produced across the District.

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Although we are already doing a lot to reduce our own carbon emissions, we recognise that there is much more work to do and that we must lead from the front to support local residents and businesses to reduce West Oxfordshire's carbon footprint.

The Council is running a Sustainability Week from June 4th-8th to raise awareness of climate change and to encourage and inspire practical and sustainable actions to tackle it.

Members of the public can get involved in the following events:

Sustainability Fair at the Council's Elmfield building, New Yatt Road, Witney, on Monday, June 4th, 12-2pm. There will be various stalls with information about climate change, energy efficiency, composting, samples of local food and an eco-driving simulator.

Witney Walk, a one-hour conservation walk around Witney starting outside the Council's Elmfield building, New Yatt Road, on Wednesday, June 6th at 12 noon.