Bolton council is set to abandon its climate change target of achieving carbon neutrality for council operations by 2030, after a full council meeting narrowly voted in favor of a Conservative motion to review the objective. Councilors heard that the target was likely to be 'missed by a country mile'.
Motion to Align with National Target
The successful motion proposes establishing a policy development group to consider amending the current operational net zero target from 2030 to align with the Government's national target date of 2050. The motion states: 'In order to provide the time required to develop a practical, economically sound and climate-efficient fleet strategy, we propose that this council agrees to establish a policy development group to consider amending its current operational net zero target from 2030 to align with the Government's national target date of 2050.'
Councilor Arguments
Proposing the motion, Conservative Councillor Les Webb said: 'This isn't about climate change, this is about the council's policy and we need to address it. I'm asking you to make a professional cost consideration.' He added that when officers were asked if the 2030 target was achievable, the response was 'they hoped to meet the target' or similar words. '2030 has always been a push but we're in danger of missing it by a country mile,' he said. 'It can be argued that renewables have a part to play but at this juncture we all have to accept it's impossible to deliver by 2030.' Webb noted that the council's own transport manager stated that the purchase of the last set of road sweepers and bin trucks were on diesel engines, as the capital cost for zero-emission ones were 50 to 70 per cent more than diesel.
Conservative Councillor Toby Hewitt said: 'I have challenged the approach of this administration in defence of a target it knows cannot be achieved but it blindly follows for what looks to be the sake of ideology. The administration continues to double down on poor choices, backing unreasonable targets. We need to make a change for the better and begin to draw back from this unsustainable position.'
Labour's Response
Labour Councillor Robert Morrisey said: 'The new fleet does run on diesel. They are more efficient than the previous ones so have led to a carbon reduction. They are also capable of running on drop in sustainable fuel like that derived from waste cooking oil but this is not currently financially viable.' He noted that the fleet accounts for around 11 per cent of the council's emissions, with the estate, electricity, and the grid being a much larger part. 'This motion tacitly accepts that the Labour administration will not put the council at financial risk in pursuit of net zero. Every decision is made on a case by case basis. Where we can we will decarbonise. But we want to signal that we are ambitious with net zero and we want to achieve it as soon as we possibly can.' Morrisey questioned whether 2030 should be seen as a strict key performance indicator or an ambitious target, warning that moving to 2050 would lose the readiness for the council to act.
In 2021, Bolton Council officially adopted a climate change strategy aiming to make council operations carbon neutral by 2030, with the hope that Bolton's action would also help to reach Greater Manchester's aim of net zero carbon emissions by 2038. The council will now look to change the policy, possibly to align with the Government's national target date of 2050.
