Two climate change officers, a recycling review and more trees – York sets out green plans

After declaring a ‘climate emergency’, City of York Council is setting out ways to address the challenge.

Two new council officers will be recruited to tackle climate change in York.

And the local authority is set to carry out a review of recycling services, plant more trees and put more money towards maintaining electric vehicle charging points as part of its work to be more environmentally friendly.

City of York Council declared a climate emergency in March and committed to a target to become carbon neutral by 2030.

More tree planting

Plans to meet this goal are set to be discussed at an executive meeting next Thursday (29 August).

They include putting £54,000 towards creating a lead carbon reduction officer, £50,000 for more tree planting and better tree maintenance.

A review of waste services – which would look at increasing collection rates and investigating how plastic and food waste are dealt with – is also planned at a cost of £100,000.

Cllr Paula Widdowson, the council’s executive member for climate change, said:

• The science regarding climate change is compelling and we all have a responsibility to take positive action.

  In York we are committed to delivering actions that are affordable and that will make a real difference.
  

Hard choices

The council is also set to put £25,000 towards better upkeep of the city’s electric vehicle (EV) charging points – it was revealed in April that more than a quarter of the city’s EV chargers were broken and one of them had been out of action for more than a year.

Council bosses will also look at ways to make the York Central development more environmentally-friendly as part of the project.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne said: “York has a proud history of taking action, and this declaration means that hard choices must be made in order to make significant year-on-year reductions for CO2 emissions.

“Alongside these decisions come opportunities for job creation in the renewables and insulation sector, and for reduced energy costs.”