Plans for Aberdeenshire Council to decarbonise its emissions have been set out.

The local authority has unveiled its route to achieve net zero by 2045, which was approved at full Council on Thursday 29 September.

The Route Map to 2030 has a focus on Aberdeenshire Council's operational buildings, fleet, and street lighting, which account for more than 90% of its current carbon footprint. Improvements to authority's residential properties, such as heating systems and solar roof panels, are separately underway through the Council's Housing Improvement Programme.

Among the many milestones along the route is the adoption of hydrogen and electric vehicles for the authority's fleet; non-domestic buildings will be retrofitted to decarbonise heat as well as save, generate, and store energy; and the council's programme of LED streetlight replacements to date has also exceeded annual decarbonisation targets year-on-year.

-- Advertisement --

Aberdeenshire Council was the first authority in Scotland to develop and approve a carbon budget, aligning itself with the ambitious targets set into law by the Scottish Government, including reaching net zero of all greenhouse gases by 2045.

Putting forward the motion to approve the route map, Council Leader Mark Findlater said: "Strong collaboration in line with the One Aberdeenshire ethos is very evident in this work. [The route map] has been considered by the Sustainability Committee, and all six area committees during August and September as well as being explored further in a recent workshop for all members.

"The scale of the challenge facing the council in doing its bit in tackling climate change is such that a collaborative approach is our only option."

Sustainability Committee Chair Sarah Dickinson, who seconded the motion, commented: "It's fitting that the approval of the route map takes place during the nationally recognised Climate Week. Reducing emissions from actions within the Council will support a cleaner, safer environment for everyone. By positively impacting air quality and increasing biodiversity, we will support a future where climate change may not be as impactful as once predicted."

Provost Judy Whyte added: "Climate change is a responsibility for all organisations, and action on it is a core deliverable for all public bodies. It is great to see this work becoming really embedded in everything we do as a Council, because a rapid transformation across all sectors of our economy and society is required to meet these ambitious targets for decarbonisation."