'Get to Zero' climate change action plan

The Council published its first Get to Zero Action Plan - a climate change plan for East Renfrewshire - in February 2024.

Read the full Get to Zero Action Plan (PDF) [2MB] .

The key points of the plan are summarised below.

• The Council will focus on reducing its operational emission from the services that contribute the most to carbon emissions. This includes:
• reducing emissions from the Council estate (i.e. schools, offices, community facilities).
• reducing emissions from the goods and services that are bought by the Council, which accounts for over 70% of operational emissions.
• reducing emissions from the fleet of vehicles (e.g. cars, vans, buses, gritters, waste collection) with an initial focus on moving to electric cars and vans by 2030.
• supporting housing tenants to reduce energy consumption, and their costs, by achieving higher levels of energy efficiency and zero-emission heating systems in the Council's ~3,000 housing stock.
• supporting action to help communities reduce emissions from transport (i.e. mainly petrol/diesel vehicles) by improving active travel options, and other such policies and investments.

The plan is long-term - covering a period to 2045 (21 years) - and will require significant investment. Current estimates are that as much as £370m capital investment could be required in the period up to 2045.

Whilst actions have been costed, the Council does not have all the money it needs to fully deliver the plan. Therefore discussions will continue with Scottish Government, and other funders to take forward the actions set out in the plan.

A publication consultation on the draft Get to Zero Action Plan was conducted in May 2023. This was supported by an Environmental Report, which was required as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment. Read more about the Environmental Report.