West Northants Council scraps 'unaffordable' net zero targets
Mr Arnull said he was "proud to be flying the flag" as one of the first councils to make the change. Durham County Council, also run by Reform UK, became the first in England to scrap net zero targets - just a few hours before West Northamptonshire.
In 2022, the then Conservative-controlled council signed up to the UK100 Net Zero pledge, putting in place the targets for the authority, residents and businesses.Dan Lister, leader of the Conservative group on West Northamptonshire Council, said their previous administration backed several environmental schemes, including electric buses and EV charging points, and drove investment to create high quality green jobs.He said he was "disappointed" with the decision, which he said was "political ideology". Keeble added: "A whole community of climate change campaigners have had the rug pulled from under their feet."
'Mocking action'
By law, the UK must stop adding to the total amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2050. This is known as "net zero".Reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally is essential to limit global warming.Mr Arnull said diesel vehicles were due to be delivered in Towcester, as an order was "already in place". He told the BBC he had completed some "back of the fag packet maths" - but found the costs to turn the council's estate and fleet vehicles by 2030 did not add up. "I'd be lying to the public if we said we could afford it but we would run the council into bankruptcy and it's not what I'm going to do," he said."It's not a case of denying climate change, it's a case of being realistic with the public."The council would look at converting its fleet to bioethanol fuel that would be "much cheaper and more effective and could be run on waste generated in the county", he added. Lib Dem group leader Jonathan Harris told the meeting: "This leaves West Northants Council completely out on a limb and showing a real lack of leadership."The cost of doing nothing – or worse – mocking action – is one that this country can't afford."Dave Pearson, co-chair of the West Northants Green Party, said: "It's just unconscionable that we should even consider not going as hard and fast as we can to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we're putting into the atmosphere."
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