Pic: Swansea Council
SWANSEA Council has outlined significant progress on its climate change programme, highlighting continued action to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen climate resilience and support communities on the journey to a greener future
Two reports considered by the Climate Change and Nature Scrutiny Performance Panel detail the council’s work towards its commitment to cut carbon for council operations and the wider Climate Change 2050 ambition for Swansea.
Together, they show progress across building retrofit, electric vehicle adoption, energy security, staff engagement, community partnerships and climate adaptation.
Highlights include:
- Continued delivery of the council’s 30-point cutting carbon action plan, with major investment in building retrofits, low-carbon technologies and behaviour change programmes.
- Growth of the council’s electric fleet to 134 battery electric vehicles alongside expanded charging infrastructure across 18 sites.
- The launch of Swansea Project Zero, providing a single online hub for climate information, alongside the introduction of Climate Cafés to help residents and businesses learn more about climate action.
Cllr Andrea Harrington, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Service Transformation, said: “Tackling climate change is about much more than reducing emissions. It’s about creating a more resilient, efficient and sustainable council that can continue delivering essential services while protecting our environment for future generations.
“We’ve made solid progress through investment in cleaner buildings and improving energy efficiency.
“While challenges around funding and resources remain, we will continue working with partners and seek external investment to keep Swansea moving towards our climate change ambitions.
“This is also the case for energy security to make sure we use as much locally generated energy as possible – preferably from green sources – to help protect residents and businesses from the incredibly volatile energy prices we have seen in recent years.”
Cllr Rebecca Fogarty, Cabinet Member for Community Support, said: “Growing our electric vehicle fleet is an important part of reducing the council’s carbon emissions while continuing to deliver essential services across Swansea.
“We’ll continue to explore opportunities to expand the use of cleaner vehicles where it’s practical to do so, supporting our wider commitment to tackling climate change.”
Cllr Andrew Williams, Cabinet Member for Development, said: “Climate action is most effective when it brings together communities, businesses and public sector organisations.
“Through initiatives such as Swansea Project Zero, our Climate Charter partnership and the forthcoming Climate Cafés, we’re making it easier for people to access trusted information and become part of Swansea’s response to climate change.
“Alongside reducing emissions, we’re also strengthening our ability to adapt to the changing climate by improving resilience across council services and supporting practical projects that benefit both people and nature.”
The reports conclude that while further work is needed to maintain momentum, Swansea continues to make steady progress towards its long-term climate ambitions through partnership working, targeted investment and practical action across council services and the wider community.
