Friday 28 May 2021

City of Edinburgh Council agree investments to support net zero goal

The City of Edinburgh Council have agreed options for investing around £21 million in one-off additional funding, including in projects that support the city's net zero goal.

Around £500,000 of funding will be invested to improve the carbon performance of the council's estate to meet the climate challenge by identifying shovel-ready projects.

An additional £700,000 will support carbon net zero engagement, taking forward communication and engagement among the public to bring about behaviour change and funding worth £250,000 will be invested in expanding charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) for the council's own fleet to ensure it leads by example by making its vehicle fleet zero carbon.

In addition, around £200,000 will be set aside to improve the council's recycling performance and with the popularity of the current bike hire scheme, the council seeks to “continue with a cost-effective and robust scheme fit for the future” to tackle air pollution and improve air quality in the city.

The agreed funding - which supports the council's commitment to become a net zero carbon city by 2030 - is part of a wider investment package shaped by key priorities of the Council Business Plan, which includes tackling poverty, enhancing residents' wellbeing and promoting sustainability.

Councillor Rob Munn, Finance and Resources Convener said: “When our Council budget was agreed in February, the final local government settlement was not known in full.

“At the time we set a prudent Budget in the knowledge that we would have other decisions to make following clarification of the final settlement. That final settlement was more than we had anticipated and I'm very pleased that we've been able to agree these investments in Council today, helping us to meet our commitments and to ensure that we address poverty, well-being and the climate challenge."