Chorley Council is committed to reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions across its estate and operations.
To support this commitment Chorley Council declared a climate emergency in November 2019 and set the ambitious goal of being net-zero by 2030.
Chorley Council is a member of the UK100, joining other local authorities to lead the UK’s response to climate change. UK100 brings together local authorities across the country to share knowledge, collaborate, and petition the UK government. The aim by working together is to create flourishing communities - seizing the opportunities of technology to create jobs and establishing a nationwide project of renewal, focused on local needs and ambitions.
The UK government has committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050. By acting sooner than the government’s goal we commit to do everything within our power to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We will work with residents and businesses in our communities to bring about a reduction in emissions and reach net zero as soon as possible.
We pledge to understand our impact on climate change, prioritise where action needs to be taken and monitor progress towards our goals.
We will collaborate with our communities to build consensus for the solutions we need to transition to a Net Zero society that delivers multiple benefits and is fair, just and works for everyone.
To provide a baseline upon which to measure improvements the Council must first establish its current carbon footprint. This work will be used to inform the Council’s Climate Change Strategy.
Within the Climate Change Strategy 2022 a priority was set to monitor the carbon footprint of the Council and Borough annually. This will monitor progress towards the 2030 goal and inform future work and actions.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released by an individual, organisation or communities’ activities. The carbon footprint for the Council as an organisation and the borough have been calculated in this report.
As a tier 2 local authority, the council does not have the level of direct control over the borough as it does over its own resources. Services under the control of Chorley Council include: Planning and building control; Environmental health; Housing; Parking; Parks and countryside; Waste management; and Leisure.
Analysis of Borough emissions allows for the identification of key emitting sectors that the council can support to reduce carbon emissions.
