'Less talk needed' to make Exeter net zero

Councillors discuss

The campaign to get Exeter to ‘net zero’ on carbon emissions has been told it needs less talk and more action.

City councillors have endorsed a strategy to get the council’s figures down to zero by 2030, but Cllr Michael Mitchell (Lib Dem, Duryard and St James) told them: “We have to make progress, and stop talking about this.”

The executive committee heard a new report setting out the next steps, which include taking on a dedicated officer for two years - at £65,000 a year - to lead the campaign.

Initiatives will include fewer vehicles in the city centre and a district heating network. The new officer will have to find funding for the new strategies.

Exeter is the second best district council in the country for its pioneering work on reaching net zero, and the executive team is keen to build on that success.

But Cllr Mitchell warned: “We’re only six years from 2030, and there’s a lot to do.

“If we’re serious, and not sitting here in 2029 wringing our hands and saying we didn’t do it, then we need a clear action plan.”

Cllr Martin Pearce (Labour, Duryard and St James) said: “We’ve got a track record that says we can set ambitious targets, and we can deliver.”

The committee heard that government and private investment would be needed if Exeter is to meet its 2030 target, which is 20 years ahead of the government’s stated target of 2050.

A report to the committee continued: “The city council cannot achieve city-wide net zero alone. There will be the absolute need and requirement to engage and work collaboratively with a wide range of city partners, most notably Devon County Council.”

And city council leader Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) stressed: “There is a lot of work to do. We cannot be complacent.”