Welsh council says it won’t meet its net zero targets

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

A Welsh council said it will not be able to reach its 2030 net zero targets, which are expected to come with a massive cost of more than £100m.

Bridgend County Borough Council formally adopted its strategy in January 2023 with the aim of achieving net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2030, aligning with Welsh public sector ambitions.

However, with the cost of achieving this target estimated to be worth about £109m, many councillors asked if the plan was still feasible given the current budget situations.

Speaking at a scrutiny meeting which looked at work being done to update the strategy, Cllr Ian Williams described the figures as eye-watering and asked why the council were putting themselves under pressure if it was an unachievable goal.

Cllr Owain Clatworthy asked how they could justify spending this amount of cash while other services across the borough were being cut.

The council’s leader John Spanswick made it clear that money was not being diverted to net zero from other council-run services, but he did acknowledge that they don’t have £109m to spend.

When discussing the review of the strategy he said: “Welsh Government will have to change that target of 2030. Lets be honest and realistic, it can’t happen.”

Officers at the meeting reiterated this position, but added that they will still make efforts to work towards net zero in day-to-day operations by making informed choices that could lower the carbon footprint.

This will include replacing fleet vehicles and boilers with low carbon options where possible, replacing street and office lighting with LED’s, planting trees, and improving electric charging infrastructure.

They also described the overall situation across Wales, with some local authorities estimating that in order to reach the 2030 targets it will cost double the amount Bridgend is facing.

The report said: “The feasibility of the 2030 Net Zero ambition for the Welsh public sector is increasingly under discussion.

“While the Welsh Government has not formally revised the target, there is recognition that significant challenges exist, particularly for local authorities facing financial, operational, and policy constraints.

“A review of the approach to the 2030 target is expected next year, which may lead to further strategic adjustments.”

When it came to Bridgend, Cllr Gary Haines pointed out that 71% of the council’s emissions were from the supply chain, describing it as a critical area that needed to be addressed with more resources.

Officers told members it was a “big ship to turn”, highlighting that while there was a lot of work still to be done, they were moving in the right direction in building a sustainable procurement strategy and encouraging the use of local supply chains to reduce carbon miles.