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Resilient Belfast

Climate change

  • Action on climate change

    We are committed to making Belfast a resilient net zero economy for everyone.

    We are working with partners to reduce Belfast's net carbon emissions by 80 per cent compared to 2005 levels as quickly as possible. In 2022, we adopted these city targets:

    • 66 per cent reduction on the 2000 level of emissions by 2025
    • 80 per cent by 2030
    • 100 per cent by 2050
  • Our plan to mitigate climate change

    Our Resilience Strategy is Belfast's first climate plan. It is the basis of our climate adaptation and mitigation plan.

    Through this plan, we are developing others so can can:

    • reduce our own carbon footprint
    • reduce the city’s pollution and noise
    • reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings 
    • promote cycling, walking and public transport
    • promote a green economy
    • build resilience to flooding and other climate risks 
    • plant one million trees by 2035
    • promote and support clean transport technology and infrastructure
    • help our residents to reduce their carbon footprints
    • use green procurement

    You can read our climate aspirations and a vision of what we want Belfast to be as a city in Belfast Resilience Ambitions.

    As part of our goal to transition to a low-carbon economy in a generation, we have created two focused plans:

    • Belfast Local Area Plan will shape how we use energy in the city in the future
    • Belfast Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy will set out an ambitious EV plan for the city
  • Partnership actions to date

    We need to work in collaboration with others on our journey to tackle climate change. To make this possible we have:

  • Becoming carbon neutral

    We are also setting an example to other organisations and businesses in the city by becoming carbon neutral. We are doing this by:

    • producing an Environmental Sustainability Review
    • establishing an internal officer board to develop a Climate Plan
    • planting trees on our own land as part of our Belfast One Million Trees campaign
    • supporting Fairtrade
    • buying electricity from renewable sources
    • reviewing our fleet strategy to include the sustainable future-proofing
    • preparing for climate change impacts, such as flooding, as part of our Climate Plan
  • How we make decisions

    Resilience and Sustainability Board

    To develop ideas for tackling climate change and progress climate action, we set up a Resilience and Sustainability Board through our Community planning process. This board has people from key public and community organisations in Belfast to share experience and knowledge on environmental sustainability.

    Climate and City Resilience Committee

    The purpose of the Committee is to meet monthly with the Climate Commissioner to consider the potential implications of climate change for the city of Belfast and make recommendations to the Council on Belfast City Council’s approach to addressing the climate crisis and Council’s role and responsibilities at city level.

    Members

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