ACTIVISTS have welcomed the newly published climate emergency action plan to cut carbon emissions in West Berkshire. 

The draft environment strategy was published by West Berkshire Council last week, detailing how the district can get to carbon neutral by 2030. 

The plan has been “fully welcomed” by the West Berkshire Climate Action Network, who have said it shows the council “clearly understands” the wider context of climate change

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However, they have also called for “strong and bold policy changes”. 

Miriam Lee, spokeswoman for the network, said: “We are concerned that the level of action proposed will not be enough to reach carbon zero without some strong and bold policy changes.

“Therefore we fully support the strategy with all of its ambitions, but look forward to the delivery plan with the detailed proposal.” 

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The delivery plan is separate to the recently published draft strategy, and will contain more details of how the council proposes to get to carbon neutral. But this will be an internal document and not shared with the public. 

Ms Lee said: “We urge the council to move quickly on the delivery plan as it has already been a year since the climate emergency petition was presented to the council.”

That petition was signed by more than 2,000 people calling on the council to declare a climate emergency and cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. 

The climate action network is also encouraging West Berkshire Council to work with other councils who have already invested more in renewable energy schemes and “are more ambitious in tackling plastic waste”. 

Another petition, with 2,356 signatures, recently called on the council to improve plastic recycling at the kerbside in the district. But the council voted to wait until new government changes on plastic waste come into effect in 2022. 

Separately, Ms Lee said West Berkshire Climate Action Network has been lobbying for more funding from central government for local climate change projects. 

The group also set up a “community-discounted” scheme where residents can buy solar panels at a reduced rate, by buying them in bulk.