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Hart District Council is working hard to slash its carbon footprint
It’s doing things like installing solar panels at the Civic Centre in Fleet, replacing petrol vehicles with electric vehicles and fitting energy-saving LED lighting.
This is happening because members of the Council decided it was time to take urgent action. They kicked off the process by declaring a climate emergency in the district on 29 April 2021.
Lots of other councils across the UK have done this too. Like Hart, they see climate change as the most serious environmental challenge facing us in the 21st century.
Hart’s declaration says the Council is:
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making climate change a priority for our district
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committing to becoming a carbon-neutral authority by 2035
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committing to becoming a carbon-neutral district by 2040
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putting reduction of CO2 emissions in Hart at the centre of all policies and formal decision-making
Five years of climate action
The Council now has a Climate Change Action Plan for the period 2023 to 2027. It’s using this as a guide to reducing its carbon footprint to zero.
The plan has five parts:
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Buildings
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Energy
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Transport
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Communications and reporting (understanding what needs to be done)
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District-wide actions
Protecting and improving Hart’s natural environment
The United Nations calls biodiversity “our strongest natural defence against climate change”. It says it’s vital to protect, manage and restore natural habitats.
For example, increasing the amount of green cover and open spaces can help to combat the effects of climate change by providing natural cooling of air and surfaces.
The Council manages numerous open spaces across the district. Most of them are internationally or nationally recognised for their wildlife.
What’s the Council doing to:
Read more about Hart District Council's action on climate change
Next section: Climate action by town and parish councils in Hart
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