Basingstoke and Deane climate targets are well within reach

As previously reported council chiefs came under fire for proposing to use land in the Basingstoke borough to tackle nitrate pollution and offset the impact of a development in Andover. 

During a meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) cabinet on October 11, the council suggested that in order to meet its climate emergency target offsetting will need to be used to reach carbon neutrality.

Offsetting is defined as reductions in emissions in one place that can be used to compensate for emissions elsewhere. 

SEE ALSO: Council agreement comes under fire for nitrate offsetting loophole

The cabinet declared a climate emergency in 2019 which included a target to be carbon neutral as an organisation by December 2025. 

Following the news, during a BDBC community environment and partnership committee held on Wednesday, November 16 Cllr Hayley Eachus tried to provide some reassurance.

She told the committee: “Continuing to reduce council operations emissions is a priority for this council and achieving carbon neutrality within 2025 is well within reach.

“Many of you will be aware that during a recent cabinet meeting we did make a decision to offset emissions. This decision prioritises local carbon sequestration on our own land, and where that is not possible we have then agreed to invest in schemes that adhere to best practices to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

“This ensures that as well as continuing to invest in action to reduce our emissions we are taking proactive ownership of these historic emissions."

READ MORE: Basingstoke MP's call for action on fire safety works at Crown Heights

She continued: "I did make it absolutely clear at the cabinet meeting when the offsetting paper was taken that I personally and the cabinet and council officers don’t see offsetting as the answer. We don’t see it as a cop-out and it was not a decision that was taken lightly. We just feel that it is necessary but it is not the answer. I don’t want people to think we have just done that and we don’t now have the appetite to drive all of our actions, we do remain committed to achieving our targets.”

Cllr Alex Lee asked what percentage of emissions have been offset and council chiefs confirmed that nothing has yet been done with the decision only being made a couple of weeks ago.