Reading to launch £34m fund to reach 2030 net zero target

The city has already cut emissions ‘saving more than £10m in energy costs during the last decade’

Reading plans to improve its carbon footprint by spending £34 million to reduce emissions in the two years since it declared a Climate Emergency (February 2019).

The suggested green plan involves major spending on a new railway station, renewable energy sources, tree planting programmes, electric vehicle charging points and a new food waste service.

It is also reported that Reading Borough has already reduced its emissions by 62.5% since 2008/2009, and by 18.5% in 2018/2019 alone, saving £10.9 million in energy costs over the last decade.

It said Reading met its 50% carbon reduction target by 2020, three years early.

Jason Brock, Council Leader said: “Reading Council is leading by example and has already cut its carbon footprint by nearly two-thirds since 2008.

“Our proposed budget accelerates us towards a net-zero carbon Reading in less than 10 years. It’s an ambitious target, but one which we are determined to invest in to achieve.”

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