The council has announced its new ‘One Planet Cardiff’ strategy to tackle the climate emergency and it is calling for the public to give feedback
The council is calling for the public to give feedback on its new plan to tackle the climate emergency.
The ‘One Planet Cardiff’ strategy aims to make the city carbon neutral by 2030 while supporting new green economies and improving social wellbeing.
The council has introduced initiatives in the past to reduce its carbon footprint, but decided it needed to do more to address the severity of the climate crisis.
“The need for change is right here, right now. Carrying on as we are is not a viable option. It’s not sustainable,” said Councillor Huw Thomas, leader of Cardiff council, in a press release.
The need for change is right here, right now. Carrying on as we are is not a viable option
Councillor Huw Thomas
The strategy includes a new district heating scheme, increasing tree canopy coverage in the city by 25%, ending council use of single-use plastics, reopening city centre canals, developing a farm park at Forest Farm to produce food and a sustainable food market.
Pick up the pace
A local environmental campaigning group, Cardiff Green New Deal, said it is excited to see the launch of the strategy, but is concerned the change may not be fast enough.
“We want to see action at a pace that meets the emergency status of climate change,” said Dan Ward, a representative for the group.
According to the council, Cardiff’s current consumption rate is shockingly at that of three planets, meaning that if everyone in the world consumed natural resources and generated carbon dioxide at the rate of the city, we would need three planets to support us.
The crisis has already had an impact on the city, with erratic weather patterns, air pollution, heatwaves and changes in biodiversity that have had social and economic costs for businesses and citizens.
The ‘One Planet’ strategy was approved by the council’s cabinet on 15 October.
The public have until 11 December to submit their comments on the policy.
Get involved
You can join the public consultation here.
Watch this video to learn more about the strategy: