Priority f) Sustainability: Cutting Carbon, Enhancing the environment for future generations
Progress to net zero
We continue working with partners across the city to meet net zero by 2030.
The York Climate Commission was refreshed in January, with representatives from 80 organisations considering how best to deliver net zero carbon and become a climate resilient city. Subsequently, the Commission has organised into 7 working groups, covering topics from buildings and retrofit to the future economy.
Meanwhile, an Energy Hackathon was hosted with public sector, energy suppliers, researchers, technology innovators and community groups to discuss the outcome of York’s Local Area Energy Plan and identify opportunities for accelerating the low carbon transition at lowest cost.
Approval was given by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero of the business case to deliver the regional Net Zero Accelerator (City Leap) project with North Yorkshire Council and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, with an award of £2m to explore delivery models to achieve the outcomes of the York Local Area Energy Plan at scale and pace.
Nearly £3m in funding has been secured from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Net Zero Fund for York projects. These include street lighting and commercial building LED conversion and the initiation of a feasibility study for solar / green energy park at Harewood Whin.
Internally, we've installed new LED lighting at Hazel Court and West Offices and expanded the number of Council buildings to receive a heat decarbonisation plan.
Our natural environment
Turning to the natural environment, York Community Woodland has opened to the public, with 210,000 trees and over 5km of new tracks and trails. Two micro-woodland sites have been identified in Holgate and Rawcliffe, with approval to commence planting this winter. Over the last 12 months, 2,550 new trees at 13 sites across the city as part of the York Green Streets Programme have been planted, including at school playing fields and public open spaces.
In November 2023, approval was given for including climate resilience in our Climate Change Strategy Action Plan, including using financial contributions received through planning for preparations for York to be climate ready by 2030.
The Millennium Bridge flood resilience scheme raised part of the path by 60cm to level it out and installed piping under the path to allow flood water to drain under the route. This will enable Millennium Bridge to continue to be used by residents when the River Ouse is in flood. The Ousewem project is an integrated, catchment-scale, long-term approach to safeguarding communities working in close collaboration with North Yorkshire Council. It includes exploring the potential of natural-based solutions, natural flood management and land management changes, spanning the rivers Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse catchment areas.
The Local Investment in Natural Capital programme, a £2m regional programme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is delivering a pilot in York to test the feasibility of establishing an urban Green Asset Bank to increase investment in our natural assets whilst we continue to work with appropriate bodies on drainage and wastewater issues.
What we plan to do over the next three months
- the York Climate Action Plan Refresh has been completed. The new updated action plan will be presented to the Executive Member in November
- progress the Harewood Whin project
- continued stakeholder engagement for the Year 2 Green Streets tree planting
Areas of Positive Performance
Council delivery
We planted 1,240 trees in 2023 to 2024, compared to 1,099 in 2022 to 2023.
City outcomes
The percentage of Talkabout panel who give unpaid help to any group, club or organisation was 64.4% in Q1 2023 to 2024, compared to 61% in 2022 to 2023.
The percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting was 45% in Q1 2024 to 2025, compared to the national benchmark of 42% in 2021 to 2022.
The average of maximum annual mean value of nitrogen dioxide concentrations was 38.8 in 2023 to 2024, compared to 44.1 in 2022 to 2023 (recorded across three areas of technical breach, at points of relevant public exposure). Measured in micrograms (one-millionth of a gram) per cubic meter air or µg/m3.
