2020-25 ACTION PLAN SUMMARY
Introduction
Our strategy and action plan were developed in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholder groups to ensure that it reflects their concerns, issues and priorities. The Pathway to a Net Zero Reading by 2030. Achieving the net zero carbon target for Reading will require the removal of virtually all fossil fuels from the energy mix.
Key priorities identified are:
- Housing: retrofitting and building new homes and other buildings to low/zero carbon standards.
- Renewable energy: generating more energy from renewable sources.
- Transport: reducing traffic and the need to travel by more polluting modes of transport, promoting walking, cycling and public transport, and phasing out petrol/diesel in favour of electric vehicles.
- Consumption and waste: buying and using less ‘stuff’, reducing waste and developing Reading’s ‘circular economy’.
- Nature-based solutions: working with nature to tackle climate impacts and reducing emissions through measures such as carbon capture.
Across all of these priorities, effective communication and engagement with the wider public will be critical to the success of our efforts to deliver the aims of the strategy.
Aims of the 2020-25 strategy
We have identified 6 theme areas of focus:
- Transport – Reading will have a low carbon future for transport in which emissions are cut by reducing traffic and shifting more journeys to sustainable modes of transport and supporting the transition from petrol/diesel to electric vehicles.
- Heath & Wellbeing – The people of Reading will be well informed about how to self manage the health impacts of climate change and benefit from policies and programmes that enable them to thrive.
- Resources – Reading will have made good progress towards becoming a zero-waste town by 2030.
- Water – Reading will become the most water aware and water efficient town in the UK, going beyond national targets.
- Nature – The people of Reading will see changes to the management of open spaces and the green links between them that store more carbon as well as giving shade for hot summers, corridors for wildlife and some flood control.
- Energy – Reading is taking urgent action to decarbonise its energy networks, increase energy efficiency and create renewable energy capacity.
Click here to view & download the 2020-25 Action Plan Summary.
