BASINGSTOKE and Deane Borough Council leader Simon Bound has announced a raft of ambitious plans for cutting carbon emissions.

This includes finding a specialist partner to set up “much-needed local off-setting schemes” and building an electric charging car club to give people “easier access to green transport without the need to own a car”.

The announcements were made on Friday, September 23 – the eve of the 10th Basingstoke Green Week and following the third anniversary of BDBC’s Climate Emergency declaration.  

Ensuring the council meets its ambitious net zero plans after having cut its net carbon emissions by two thirds already, Cllr Bound has pledged to mitigate all outstanding emissions back to the date of the declaration in 2019.

He is also planning to raise the budget for climate action for the coming year. This extra funding could see an electric charging car club set up and a new green team taking to the streets of the borough to give residents and businesses practical help to cut their emissions. 

Cllr Bound said: “Since our emergency declaration in September 2019 we have reduced the council’s net carbon emissions by 66 per cent and we continue to work hard to achieve our 2025 target.  In the fight against climate change our first step must always be towards changing our actions. We can do this by consuming less, consuming better, and reducing our carbon footprint. 

“However, nobody’s perfect. And to become carbon neutral or, better yet, climate positive we need to acknowledge that there is a place for mitigating the carbon emissions we have and will emit before reaching our 2025 council operational emissions target.   

“After the anniversary of our Climate Emergency declaration and on the eve of Green Week, it is a good time to consider what we can do towards carbon removal of those emissions emitted since our declaration. I have agreed to take mitigating action to balance our known carbon emissions since the emergency was declared by offsetting these emissions. It is our view that not taking any action for this known damage in the emergency would be negligent.”

Further information about these plans will be presented at the community, environment and partnerships committee in November. Following this, communities and councillors will have the opportunity to give feedback on these proposals during the public consultation on the council budget for 2023/24.