Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our way of life and to all life on the planet. Human activity has caused harmful greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere that can trap heat and make the planet warmer. The rise in global temperatures caused by these gases has already lead to many negative impacts on our planet – such as sea level rise, habitat loss and more extreme weather events.
As part of a global effort to help tackle climate change, the government has set a target for the UK to be "net zero carbon" by 2050 – this means that by 2050 we will have to take more greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) out of the atmosphere than we put into them. Achieving this will require big changes in the way we generate power, the way we travel and how we heat our homes. You can see our progress in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions in our yearly reports for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.
The council, other public bodies, businesses and the general population in Lincolnshire all need to play their part in helping the country to meet these challenges. If we are to achieve "net zero carbon" by 2050 we will need to work in close partnership with other groups. As a response to climate change and the 2050 target we have developed a Green Masterplan that sets out the guiding principles of how we will meet this challenge.
The three guiding principles are:
- Don't waste anything
- Consider wider opportunities
- Take responsibility and pride
The Green Masterplan is backed up by an Initial Action Plan.
