Climate change

Herefordshire Council has committed to reduce our carbon emissions to net zero by 2030.

Carbon reduction plans for the next 10 years

To enable us to achieve net zero by 2030, we have created a new carbon management plan. This builds on the work of previous carbon management plans and aims for a 75% carbon reduction over the next five years.

View the Carbon Management Plan 2020/21 to 2025/26

Read more about how we plan to meet our 75% carbon reduction target by 2025/26 in our carbon management action plan.

Herefordshire Council emissions

Herefordshire Council provides a wide range of local services and functions. Greenhouse gas emissions are produced by the energy we use to operate the buildings and vehicles required to deliver those services.

Buildings include schools, offices, leisure centres, residential homes, community assets and staff working from home. This also includes all of the street lighting in the county. The principle fuels used are electricity and gas.

Vehicles include our own fleet, staff travel and those used by contractors collecting waste and maintaining the highways and public spaces. The principle fuels used are diesel and petrol.

The contractors' fleet is the largest emissions source, responsible for 32% of overall emissions. Schools and leisure centres are the next, both accounting for 17% each. All other areas are less than 10% each.

Our carbon reduction since 2008/9 (baseline year)

We have produced emissions reports since 2008/09 and we track our progress reducing emissions from this baseline year. Since 2008/09 our emissions have reduced by 60.3%.

This has been achieved by:

• Purchasing 100% renewable energy for use in the council's own buildings and street lighting
• Installing solar PV systems on offices and schools
• Use of LED lights in buildings and for street lighting
• Replacing fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles
• Better use of energy for heating and cooling, to avoid waste

There are full details of the emissions in our greenhouse gas emissions report 2023-24.