By Council tackles climate change in Doncaster
Doncaster Council have made significant changes in recent years in an attempt to protect the planet from climate change.
The update comes at the start of Recycle Week, an event that aims to clean up and protect the environment.
Two years ago, on Thursday 19 September, Doncaster Council backed Mayor Ros Jones’s motion to declare a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency.
The aim is to reduce carbon emissions by 85% throughout the borough by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2040.
The Doncaster Climate and Biodiversity Commission was formed by Team Doncaster partners in order to publish a report detailing potential ways the town can address this issue.
The report, led by Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband, was published last December.
Some of the pledges made included planting one million trees across Doncaster, allocating £5m for environment and sustainability activities, and examining the options for replacing diesel and petrol transport with zero emissions alternatives.
For more information, visit Doncaster Council’s website.
The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “We have witnessed the devastation climate change is having on our planet first-hand.
“The floods of November 2019 and February 2020, which wreaked havoc on many of our communities, and the wildfires on Hatfield Moors peatlands, which damaged so much precious natural habitat, showed action was needed.”
She added: “As a council we are fully committed to doing all we can and have made great strides in the last two years.
“[This includes] planting new trees, creating green gateways, investing in 100% electric fleet vehicles, creating more electric vehicle charging points, making homes more energy efficient, installing solar panels on buildings and properties, promoting active travel to encourage more people out of their cars and naturalising green spaces to promote biodiversity and wildlife.”
Ros Jones continued: “While we can do lots to tackle the problem – and we are doing just that – we all need to play our part to overcome this global environmental crisis.
“Small changes can make a big difference from reducing our energy consumption, using more active travel and public transport, as well as reducing levels of waste by recycling and re-using wherever possible.
“We must do this, to ensure that we leave a safe and habitable planet for generations to come.”
(Photos: Doncaster Council)
