We are living in a climate emergency. We understand that urgent action is needed if we are to avert the dangers ahead and, through our One Planet Cardiff Strategy, have set out a wide range of ambitious actions that will deliver the transition to a net zero Council and net zero Cardiff in a way that supports new green economies and greater social wellbeing in the city.
The coming five years will be crucial. Achieving our One Planet aspirations will require action across everything we do. We will need to identify local sources of renewable energy, invest in sustainable transport and retrofit housing.
We will need to enhance our city’s already excellent green spaces, upgrade our flood defences and improve our recycling rates to be amongst the highest for any city anywhere. In doing so, we can make Cardiff a city known across the world for action on climate change and as a world-leading centre for low carbon industries and innovation.
We will:
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Develop more large-scale renewable energy generation projects such as the Lamby Way Solar Farm.
- Complete a new sustainable Heat Network, using the heat produced in the Energy from Waste plant to heat buildings in Cardiff Bay.
- Work with businesses and universities to position the region as a world-leading centre for low carbon industries and innovation.
- Lead the debate on the potential for tidal energy in the Severn Estuary through the Western Gateway’s Independent Commission.
- Replace all 24,000 residential lights to low-energy LED lighting, saving 836 tonnes of CO2 and over £400k per annum.
- Publish an action plan, including a set of annual carbon reduction targets, that will set Cardiff Council on the path to being a net zero organization by 2030, including:
- Reducing the carbon impact of our core offices, wider estate and Council vehicles.
- Transitioning our fleet to electric or low-emission vehicles.
- Reducing the carbon footprint of the food served across our estate and services.
- Decarbonising our supply chain.
- Work with government to strengthen Cardiff’s coastal flood defences, particularly in the east of the city.
- Deliver the Council’s ambitious green infrastructure plan, ensuring our approach to green infrastructure and biodiversity responds to the One Planet Cardiff Strategy and the nature emergency.
- Reduce the likelihood of river and waterway flooding and ensuring a regional catchment approach is taken to water management.
- Invest in further local, sustainable drainage schemes to protect our communities from extreme weather events and flash flooding.
- Make Cardiff a world-leading city for recycling by achieving 70% recycling performance.
- Move towards a more circular economy and reduce the volume of waste by ensuring more resources are re-used and resources stay in Wales. This includes:
- Removing 27m waste recycling bags from the Council’s waste service each year.
- Working with major venues to remove single-use plastic products.
- Developing plans for Reuse and Upcycling Centres.
- Work alongside citizens and communities to unlock civic action, and provide additional support for local litter-picking and community-led initiatives.
- Make sure every ward in Cardiff meets the highest standards of street cleanliness, supported by a comprehensive programme of realignment to the Council’s Street Scene services.
- Crack down on littering and fly-tipping by recruiting extra front-line staff to strengthen education and enforcement activity and exploring further measures, such as piloting Community Protection Officers.
- Lead a public engagement programme to understand the barriers to behaviour change and design innovative approaches to support people to reduce their carbon footprint.