SEFTON Council is developing a Low Carbon Transport Strategy and has issued a Position Statement updating people on progress and the action it is taking. These actions are an important part of its Climate Change Emergency Declaration.

Transport related activities make up nearly 1/3 of the Carbon Dioxide emissions in the Liverpool City Region. Sefton Council is taking a range of actions to reduce the transport-related emissions, in areas including staff travel, council vehicles, construction, maintenance, electric vehicles, active travel and reducing travel demand.

This new statement confirms to local people that the Council is continuing to work to address the climate emergency and sets out how it will reduce its own carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2030.

Cllr Mhairi Doyle, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing said:- “Not all the actions can be delivered immediately. Some will require a lot of investment whether it is time, energy or funding, while others will need us to re-think how our towns and cities look and how people travel. As we said when declaring our Climate Change Emergency, business-as-usual is no longer an option. Last year was the warmest on record globally, and every fraction of a degree matters. The Low Carbon Transport Strategy position statement is part of us committing to these actions and explaining why we are taking certain actions and how they will make up part of the work to be cleaner, greener and healthier in Sefton.”

Sefton Council has started work in all the areas outlined in the position statement. Early priorities include work around electric vehicles and charging points, active travel, maintenance, landscaping and drainage, and in construction.

Sefton Council is encouraging active travel through schemes such as the Maritime Corridor scheme, school streets and neighbourhood projects. These all aim to make the journeys by walking, wheeling and cycling safer and healthier.

Cllr Daren Veidman, Cabinet Member for Housing and Highways said:- “We have started some great work in reducing our carbon footprint, from switching to LED street lighting, which has reduced our energy consumption for street lighting by 58% and carbon emissions by more than 3,700 Tonnes of CO2 per year, launching a consultation on our local cycling and walking infrastructure plan and integrating sustainable drainage in our major schemes. And more great work is to come. From upcoming electric vehicle charging infrastructure and continuing to look to expand our school streets and school neighbourhoods, low carbon is a priority in everything we do.”

People can find the full position statement or the Easy Read version at this website.