Gwynedd Council’s cabinet has adopted an ambitious Climate and Nature Emergency Plan that sets the goal of becoming a net zero carbon authority by 2030.

This follows the decision of the full council to declare a climate emergency and more recently, a commitment by the council to invest £3 million to deliver a range of climate projects.

Work included in the Climate and Nature Emergency Plan over the next few years includes:

- Installing electric vehicle charging points for the benefit of the people of Gwynedd and for the Council’s fleet;

- Supporting the circular economy and reducing waste by supporting café repair projects with the intention of opening a shop in the first instance on the site of the Council’s recycling centre in Bangor;

- Introducing electric or hydrogen vehicles for waste collection;

- Continuing the work of making public buildings energy efficient;

- Promoting biodiversity by transforming former waste landfills into wildlife meadows.

Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn, leader of Gwynedd Council (pictured), said: “It’s true to say that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and it requires joint action by all of us.

“We have reason to be proud of the pioneering work we as a council have undertaken over the last decade. By investing in new and more effective technology such as solar panels, energy efficient boilers in public buildings, installing LED lamps on our streets and cutting down on staff car journeys, we have been able to cut 58 per cent of the council’s carbon footprint between 2005/06 and 2019/20.

“But this work needs to intensify as we work together with our partners. This plan sets out a number of positive steps that we will take as we work towards our next ambition of Gwynedd Council being ‘net zero net carbon and ecologically positive by 2030’ with the ultimate goal of being completely zero carbon.

“As our ambition makes clear, we will give due attention to the work that needs to be carried out in terms of biodiversity too.

“The fact is, changes in temperature and rain due to climate change can lead to the loss of natural habitats, and in turn the loss of those habitats increases the amount of carbon in the environment. It is a vicious circle that must be broken and this scheme outlines plans that we will work on in this important area.

“Of course, we will be working closely with many partners and Gwynedd’s residents. The initial approved scheme is a positive start but we will build on this by discussing with Gwynedd communities and partners to consider how we can support each other to sustain and deliver projects in the field.”

For more information, visit www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/ClimateandNature.