A group of 36 county councils has called on the UK Government to provide more funding that enables areas outside of cities to reach net-zero emissions, warning the decarbonisation across key areas such as buildings and transport is slowing in these regions. The new warnings come from the County Councils Network (CCN), which is made up of all 23 county councils in England and 13 county unitary authorities. The CCN claims that efforts to reach net-zero by mid-century could be undermined if it continues to primarily focus on urban decarbonisation. The CCN warns that emissions in England’s rural areas have decreased to their slowest rates since 2005 and more policies are required to accelerate carbon reductions. The 36 areas in CCN membership have reduced their carbon emissions by 30% between 2005 and 2020, compared to 39% for England’s largest cities and London, and 37% for urban areas in the rest of the country.
Edie 16th Sept 2021 read more »
Independent 16th Sept 2021 read more »