Corporate Strategy 2023-2028

Decarbonisation and the Nature Emergency

A5- We will promote and support initiatives to deliver decarbonisation, manage climate adaptation and tackle the nature emergency

Contribution to national well-being goals

We consider that our decarbonisation and the nature emergency well-being objective will make a particular contribution to the following national well-being goals:

• A resilient Wales.
• A globally responsible Wales.

Rationale

• The Pembrokeshire Public Services Board has adopted a well-being objective for net zero carbon and the nature emergency. The delivery of this requires cross-cutting action by all of its partners.
• The Council consulted upon a ‘Big Green Plan’ in early 2022 which sets out our ambition to be carbon neutral as an organisation by 2030.
• Climate change and the nature emergency go hand in hand.  Pembrokeshire has a large number of sites designated due to the significance of their biodiversity. Through the Environment Act we have a duty to maintain and enhance biodiversity when exercising our functions.

What we are going to do

Deliver on our plan to be a net zero carbon organisation by 2030 – our Big Green Plan.

• Promote the importance of environmental sustainability, winning hearts and minds so that everyone in our communities are inspired to do their bit.
• Co-ordinate and maintain oversight of zero-carbon activities via a Sustainability Board.
• Remove carbon from the Council’s operations be that street lighting, heating our corporate buildings or from the emissions from our vehicle fleet exhausts.
• Invest in public transport and infrastructure to support the transition to electric/hydrogen fuelled vehicles.
• Develop a network of cycle and walking routes between 10 of our towns to reduce car usage and encourage people to be more physically active.

Manage our land and assets to ensure the natural environment is enhanced and protected.

• Maintain and seek to enhance biodiversity and ecology across Pembrokeshire in line with our duties under the Environment Act.

Continue to be a leading local authority in terms of recycling, for example investing in a state-of-the-art Eco Park and supporting circular economy projects.