image: a sustainable borough
Councillors have approved Barnet Council’s targets to be carbon net zero as an organisation by 2030 and for Barnet as a place to be net zero as soon as possible after that – and by 2050 at the latest.
A framework for the forthcoming Sustainability Strategy was presented to Policy and Resources Committee on 9 December. Unanimously approved by all political party members, the paper outlines the commitments the council will make to ensure Barnet reaches its own targets and those set by the government.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Dan Thomas, said: “Now that our sustainability plans have been agreed by members, we have a clear path to develop a strategy that will take us to net zero. The commitments we have identified will enable us to meet, or even exceed, our own targets and those set by the government – to build a sustainable and thriving future for all of us in Barnet.
“There is a lot of work to do, but this framework puts us in great stead to become a leading London borough in relation to sustainability.”
The approved framework includes commitments to:
- Improve the energy efficiency of the borough’s housing and buildings by retrofitting social housing to an average of EPC B by 2030
- Explore renewable energy generation across Barnet’s property portfolio
- Install 500 on-street residential electric vehicle charge points by November 2022, with a total project value of £4.65M including a £3.5M grant from government
- Further install a comprehensive network of electric vehicle charge points across the borough by 2030
- Establish a scheme which will give residents the opportunity to borrow household items as and when needed, reducing waste and supporting a culture of reusing
- Support residents and businesses to help make sustainable choices, including signposting to available grants and government schemes
- Update the council’s Procurement Strategy to include sustainability criteria and ensure it is net zero by 2030
Next steps will include resident focus groups in early 2022, followed by wider consultation in the Summer to give residents, businesses and partners an opportunity to help shape the Sustainability Strategy.
Several sustainability projects are already underway in the borough, information on which can be found here: How we’ve made Barnet more sustainable | Barnet Council, and the council aims for the Sustainability Strategy to be adopted by the end of 2022.