Shropshire Council supporting new county Climate Action Partnership
Shropshire Council is working with and supporting a working group of founding sponsors that has come together to create a Climate Action Partnership for Shropshire.
The new Shropshire Climate Action Partnership (SCAP) has been created to drive forward the urgent need for businesses and communities across the county to take action to address the climate crisis.
Both local authorities in the county of Shropshire are committed to the partnership which also includes key organisations like Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, Severn Trent and the Wrekin Housing Trust, and many more.
By engaging with the business and local communities as widely as possible across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin areas, the Partnership will aim to produce a zero carbon Shropshire Plan (ZCSP) by the end of 2020 that best represents the needs of the county. The plan will set out how the county can achieve net carbon zero by 2030 and will be implemented from January 2021.
From January 2021, the CAP will oversee the implementation of the ZCSP and the ongoing engagement with organisations, businesses, communities and local residents to build agreement and support for the actions and achievement of key milestones along the road to net zero Shropshire.
Businesses are one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Shropshire. Our business community can play a crucial role in achieving a net zero carbon Shropshire by 2030.
Businesses and residents alike are encouraged to become members or simply pledge their support to help the wider Shropshire community achieve net zero carbon by 2030, and can sign up at www.ZeroCarbonShropshire.org .
Mark Fermor, Chair of the Shropshire Climate Action Partnership, said:
“SCAP’s mission is to bring together all of the diverse groups and initiatives into a coherent plan so that we can join up our efforts and have a plan that gives confidence for Shropshire residents. It will also give confidence to Shropshire enterprises that they need to invest in the right products and services to meet the local demand, and SCAP provides an excellent opportunity for these firms to showcase their solutions, invest in training and equipment for the future, and succeed in the local marketplace.”
Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council Cabinet member responsible for climate change, said:
“As a council we are committed to becoming net-zero carbon by 2030, but it is important to establish how this can be achieved for Shropshire as a county.
“The establishment of the Climate Action Partnership is an important step forward and Shropshire Council fully supports it. We recently participated in a stakeholder mapping workshop led by the Centre for Sustainable Energy and look forward continuing to work with sponsors and members to ensure we all achieve our common goal of creating a net zero carbon Shropshire.
“We have a unique opportunity to deliver together a sustainable net-zero carbon Shropshire. The changes in behaviour enforced by the COVID-19 lockdown have led to decreases in carbon emissions and it is important we don’t miss this as a unique opportunity to bring something positive out of what has been an extremely difficult time.
“We’re pleased to see businesses supporting and actively engaging with the Climate Action Partnership.”
Mandy Thorn MBE, Chair of the Marches LEP, said:
“The Marches LEP recognises the important role that businesses will play in delivering a sustainable, green and net-zero economic recovery from COVID-19. This partnership will build on the strength of this sector locally, to further drive environmental improvements and boost the quality of our local natural environment.”
For any further information enquiries can be made to the acting chair Mark Fermor via email MarkFermor@ZeroCarbonShropshire.org .
Keep up to date with the latest news from SCAP by following Zero Carbon Shropshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
To see more about what Shropshire Council has achieved to date, visit the Newsroom.
