Tackling Climate Change

Last night Mayor Dave Hodgson took part in the Climate Change hustings and Mayor Dave would like to thank Bedfordshire Climate Change Forum and the University of Bedfordshire for organising the event.

The hustings gave Mayor Dave an opportunity to outline the work we have been doing to tackle climate change and champion biodiversity in Bedford Borough.

Mayor Dave said "We have been taking action on climate for years and I'm proud of what we have done so far. We have declared a climate emergency and committed the Council to become net zero by 2030. We have reduced the Council's carbon emissions by over 62% since I was elected. We have done this by modernising Borough Hall by installing LED lighting, a biomass heating system and an evaporative cooling system for our data centre. We have installed solar panels on council buildings and continue to support residents, businesses and communities through the Climate Change Fund and partnerships with organisations like Solar Together and a third of our vehicle fleet is now electric. We are also generating cleaner energy through the Archimedes screws (168,000 kW hours) and the new 8,000 panel 4.2MW solar farm on the old Elstow landfill site. We have hosted a Climate Action event supporting residents and businesses and are always looking for partnerships with government and local businesses setting up schemes to help residents with bills and saving energy."

Mayor Dave talked about tree planting and biodiversity saying "We are planting tens of thousands of trees every single year. In the last planting season alone we were involved in planting over 30,000 trees which are estimated to absorb 300 tonnes of carbon every year. We have launched the Bugs and Bees project, now in its third year, to increase the number of wildflowers and other pollinators as well allowing grass to grow longer in certain locations. The Bugs and Bees project produces a more sustainable natural environment and provides food and shelter for animals, bees and other insects. Each year we have added new sites and last year we won the national Bees' Needs Champion Award."

Mayor Dave also added "We are committed to sustainable transport, improving our cycling and walking infrastructure, maintaining our supported bus mileage and improving rail. Whilst I am proud of our record of action, there is still more to be done. Our Local Plan 2040 puts climate change at the heart of planning policy as much as possible, but we need more support and action from government. We will continue to expand the green economy and have a sustainable recovery that focuses on improving the skills of our workforce. We are also implementing a new food waste collection service and continuing to reduce, reuse and recycle."