Reform UK councillors quizzed over net zero ambitions
The political party's stance on net zero targets and carbon emissions in County Durham has been questioned
By Bill Edgar, Local Democracy reporter
Mark Wilkes, former cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, today asked the new Reform administration whether it would continue the previously agreed council ambition to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve net zero.
During election campaigning, Reform UK told voters it would scrap net zero and energy levies to save households hundreds of pounds per year.
“Our low carbon team has achieved some amazing, positive benefits for our council, our communities, our county, and businesses,” Cllr Wilkes said. “This has generated huge savings for the council and helped to secure millions of pounds of grant funding.”
Durham County Council declared a climate emergency in 2019.
Questioning leaders at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, the Liberal Democrat member added: “Can cabinet confirm that it is committed to continuing the amazing work of the low carbon team in cutting emissions and improving the environment across County Durham and saving millions of pounds for this council, and indeed doing so much more?”
Responding, Reform’s Karen Allison said the party will review current council policies ahead of making any decisions. The cabinet member for Neighbourhoods and Environment added: “Reform were elected with a mandate to review net zero and to identify efficiencies and savings for the people of County Durham.
“We are currently reviewing the claims of carbon reduction within County Durham, whilst considering the creation of carbon through the mining, transportation and disposal (at end of life) for renewable technologies. We will then have an accurate picture of the true measure of the success, so we can make an informed decision.
“Efficiencies and savings are already identified, which we are hoping to announce soon. We are analysing consumption and the impact of energy costs of home working, along with changes to the scale and usage of our asset portfolio.”
Last year, the council won an environmental award after cutting its annual carbon footprint by 50,000 tonnes over 15 years. The reduction was down to the use of green technology such as wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage.
Council buildings were also switched to using renewable energy, helping the authority save money. Durham County Council’s carbon footprint fell from 80,523 tonnes in 2008-09 to 29,173 in 2023-24, with an aim of achieving net zero by 2030.
Reform renamed several key council departments in May, including removing references to climate change in one key cabinet portfolio. The local authority’s current Climate Emergency Response Plan, which sets out several objectives, will run until 2027
Cllr Allison added: “We take the environment seriously and are already discussing projects that include forestation, protecting wildlife, and biodiversity, and also how renewable energy technology may impact our local environment, which often gets overlooked.”