“Excellent progress” is being made towards Dorset Council’s net zero target, according to a report - but a councillor acknowledges the challenge is ‘enormous’.

The local authority published its third Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy Progress Report outlining progress towards reducing carbon emissions.

Since introducing their strategy in 2019, the carbon footprint of the council has reduced by 26 per cent and current data indicates we are on track to achieve their interim target of reducing council emissions by 40 per cent by 2025.

Their report acknowledges the need for robust action with a £10 million capital programme established to help produce fighter progress over the next five years.

It is anticipated that over 5 years this will enable a further 5-6% reduction in Dorset Council’s emissions.

The money will help fund:

  • An additional 9,000 streetlights to be switched to low energy LEDs
  • Further retrofitting of council buildings with low carbon technologies
  • An expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure
  • Electrification of Dorset Council’s fleet vehicles

The report has highlighted the need for a substantial increase in capability to generate renewable energy. An extract from the report says the rate of emission reductions across Dorset ‘needs to be faster than previously thought’ in order to meet the county-wide target of net zero by 2050.

Carbon emissions from Dorset Council are 26 per cent down on their base year of 2019 but have risen slightly post-pandemic: the report says this is down to a ‘bounce back as things returned to normal’ with more staff returning to offices.

Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “It is very encouraging to see the progress being made to reduce the carbon footprint of council operations, and the wide breadth of work being carried out to make sure we deliver on our commitment to become a carbon-neutral council by 2040.

"The scale of the challenge is enormous and requires a concerted effort to move away from business as usual into a more focused and coordinated approach which embeds climate and ecological action at the core of our operations.

"We also recognise the important role the council must play in helping reduce county-wide emissions, and we will continue to work with partners and residents to help move Dorset towards a greener, cleaner future."