Cornwall Council’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2030 could be “impossible” according to those leading the council’s climate change action plan.

The council declared a climate emergency in January and councillors voted that the authority should aim to be carbon neutral by 2030.

But a climate change action plan which has been published this week states that the target could be unachievable.

The 63-page plan, which is due to go before the council’s Cabinet next week, states: “It cannot be stated strongly enough that to meet the ambition of the motion by 2030 will be incredibly challenging. It is not yet clear whether it is an achievable goal, and it may prove to be impossible, however, it is an ambition the council is prepared to pursue in good faith and in endeavouring to achieve the goal will take us further than backing off this challenge. The evidence available shows that the scale of change is unprecedented. Global and national system change will be needed to support local system change.”

In setting out the plan the council says that Cornwall is not starting from scratch when tackling climate change and aiming to be carbon neutral.

It highlights that 37 per cent of electricity is now generated from renewables, higher than the national average of 33 per cent and far higher than 10 years ago when it was just six per cent.

The plan also highlights initiatives such as the Green Cornwall programme and the allocation of £120million from the European Regional Development Fund programme on low carbon projects.

In addition £50m of European development funding has been allocated for environmental protection, climate change and resource efficiency projects.

Transport schemes have also been put in place to improve public transport and the council is leading on plans for a new network of walking and cycling routes in different parts of Cornwall.

When looking at where Cornwall needs to focus to reduce its carbon footprint the report states: “Further work will be required to ensure that emissions from electricity continue to fall, however greater emphasis will need to be placed on reducing emissions from transport, agriculture, heating, and waste, as well as increasing the carbon draw down from the natural environment, if Cornwall is to move towards carbon neutrality.”

Addressing the challenges the report states: “It will require significant changes to the way we do things, from the energy we use, to the products and food that we buy. It will also require leadership at multiple levels, and a new way of thinking. Climate change does not work to organisational boundaries or thinking. It will require decision makers to connect and properly consult with communities, businesses and individuals in ways that previously have not been done, working towards joint solutions that can create the critical mass to create the step change required.”

It adds: “Electricity will need to become zero carbon, road vehicles will need to be running on near zero carbon, and next to no buildings will be using oil, gas or coal to warm them. Planes are still likely to run on oil, so other sectors will

20 need to compensate, agriculture will need to reduce fertiliser use, emissions and capture methane.

“We will need to collectively consume less, and the way we manage our land will need to change to absorb more carbon dioxide. There will be a need to build in longer-term perspectives on how we build homes that are more thermally efficient, not building in flood plains and designing roads and

transport infrastructure that is climate resilient.

“Not all of these decisions will be popular, and this is why we will be consulting

all interested parties, but if we are to be successful, they are unavoidable. We need to ensure a prosperous and sustainable society that recognises individual’s needs for travel for work or leisure activities and by harnessing society’s appetite for future technological advances carbon neutrality will be

easier to achieve.”

But it is not all doom and gloom with the report highlighting the many benefits of changing behaviour including health benefits which could result in less demand on health and social care services. The changes could also help build a more resilient economy.

In its conclusion the report states: “This report sets out the scale of the challenge, and the nature and scope of our focus for the coming months and years. Much work needs to be done to understand and engage with partners and residents to ensure that the major challenges we face can be overcome. The resourcing requirements to undertake systems leadership and the change programme required will be significant. The scale of change required is unprecedented.”

It adds: “In conclusion, this report signifies the start of the journey; a  commitment to deliver what is possible through direct action; a commitment to work and engage with others across systems to co-design solutions to the challenge of climate change. It also highlights there are many difficult decisions ahead as we reimagine and redesign how we live in Cornwall together through unprecedented changes.”

The council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve the plan when it meets next Wednesday (July 24).

It will also be asked to approve spending £460,000 to help with the continued development of the action plan and that the £16m in the council’s capital programme for renewable energy is expanded and that £1.7m is re-prioritised to be spend on the first stages of key projects including the planned Forest for Cornwall.