HEREFORDSHIRE Council leaders are expected to set a new target this week to reduce the local authority’s carbon emissions by 75% by 2026.

The council declared a climate emergency in March last year and unanimously resolved to call on the executive to produce a successor to their carbon management plan which runs from 2019 to 2023.

This will be the third carbon management plan and builds on strong momentum reducing the council’s organisational carbon emissions.

The council’s second carbon management plan achieved its target of a 40% reduction on baseline two years early.

This latest plan sets out their aspiration to become carbon neutral by 2030 and is the first of two plans each setting out our approach for the five year periods 2020/21 – 2025/26 and then 2025/26 – 2030/31.

Council officers say there is an element of uncertainty in reaching the target due to the constantly changing nature of addressing climate change and emissions.

However, based on the information currently available, the range of potential reductions is between 65% and 84% during the period to 2025/26.

So they believe 75% is a realistic, achievable and a substantial move towards the net carbon neutral target by 2030/31.

The cabinet will consider their new carbon management plan at their meting at 2.30pm on May 28.