Manchester City Council has become cleaner and greener over the last four years, but more work is needed if it is to meet targets to reduce the amount of energy it uses.

New figures show the City Council reduced its carbon emissions by 7% last year by improving how energy is used in its buildings, on transport and on street lighting.

The latest annual carbon reduction plan report states that energy efficiency works such as installing new boilers, smart meters and high-efficiency LED lighting into buildings, as well as ensuring staff use fewer vehicle journeys, has helped achieve good progress over the last year.


Other work included planting 10,000 trees across the city, creating a site of biological importance in Clayton, achieving country park status for Heaton Park, developing climate change training for City Council staff, and supporting an application to secure £1m funding for the Real Food Wythenshawe Project, enabling people to grow their own food.

This reduction is part of the City Council's long-term commitment to reduce its carbon emissions by 41% by the end of the decade (from 2009/10), as part of its contribution to the citywide climate change action plan Manchester - A Certain Future.

The City Council has made a 14% reduction over the last three years but more work is still needed if the target is to be achieved. It will continue to reduce emissions over the next year by installing more energy efficiency measures in its buildings, setting up a new textile recycling service for schools, working with other organisations to transform unused land, planting more trees and hedges, and looking into replacing street sign lighting with LEDs.

(CD/JP)