By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
A Nottinghamshire council is set to hire a climate change officer in a bid to become Carbon Neutral by 2027.
In 2019 Broxtowe Borough Council set its carbon natural aim as it declared a climate emergency – meaning it would compensate for carbon emissions with offsetting projects.
Many councils across the country have also set out when they expect to become carbon neutral.
Council papers published ahead of the authority’s Cabinet meeting on January 17 state that Broxtowe Borough Council is reducing its carbon dioxide output every year, with a three per cent reduction in 2021/22 compared to the previous year.
But papers state “there is still a significant amount of work to be done” if the council wishes to meet the 2027 target.
The council is therefore hiring a new Climate Change Officer role at a total cost of £49,450 with the salary set at £38,150.
Comparatively, most other Nottinghamshire councils have pledged to be carbon natural by 2030, including Rushcliffe and Gedling Borough Councils and Ashfield District Council.
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The review team said the council had “one of the most comprehensive approaches to carbon reduction we’ve seen” – but added that achieving carbon neutrality would be a challenge by the set date.
The authority said it created the ‘Climate Change Strategy and Green Futures
Programme’ in 2020 identifying 145 actions that would be implemented to reduce the Council’s emissions.
Council papers state that 90 per cent of actions have been completed or are in progress.
Council papers stated: “To ensure the strategy remains fresh and current it will be reviewed annually. A public consultation exercise will be undertaken in the first year and any agreed actions will be incorporated as part of the initial review process to ensure the strategy notes the views and aspirations of the Borough’s residents. The new Climate Change Officer role will play a key part in managing and reviewing the findings of the consultation process.”
