Mendip District Council is reiterating its determination to drive down carbon dioxide emissions.

However, the council says it recognises urgent, ongoing action is required by residents, businesses and central government to avoid a climate crisis.

Mendip has announced a number of initiatives to encourage behaviour change, including a Climate Action Pledge Card, which suggests lifestyle swaps, such as buying local produce, planting bee-friendly flowers, and switching to a green energy supplier.

Every pledge residents sign-up to will make a difference to their carbon footprint, and to Mendip's overall emissions.

The council has also launched a £50,000 Climate and Ecological Emergency Fund, where community organisations can apply for up to £2,000 to support eco projects such as tree planting, sustainable food production, greener travel and renewable energy schemes.

The installation of electric vehicle charging points in council-owned car parks is due to begin shortly with partners Franklin Energy, encouraging drivers to switch from fossil-fuelled vehicles, to cleaner electric ones. Charging points will be located in Frome, Glastonbury, Street, Wells and Shepton Mallet.

Also at council-owned car parks, and displayed at Somerset Waste Partnership recycling centres, residents will have noticed anti-idling signs have been installed, designed to discourage unnecessary engine idling and improve air quality.

Mendip is one of 300 councils nationwide to have declared a climate emergency. In February 2019 it pledged "to make best endeavours to enable the district to become carbon neutral by 2030".

However recent modelling of a Future Emissions Pathway, produced by the council and adopted by Cabinet, showed the district is currently on course for a 30 per cent reduction in emissions - way off its carbon neutral target.

The council says the Cabinet-approved emissions roadmap needs ambitious policy and funding from central government.

It also requires significant behaviour change, including a 70 per cent shift to electric cars, an increase in solar energy generation to 80 Megawatts (which equates to approximately five solar panels for every 10 households), deep retrofits to 7,700 domestic properties and a 10 per cent increase in forest cover, throughout the district.

Mendip District Council's portfolio holder for strategic policy and climate change, Cllr Tom Ronan, said: "The launch of the Pledge Card, the new eco fund and our air quality campaigns are of course welcome - but to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 we need an 80 per cent reduction in district-wide emissions.

"This can't be done without more intensive efforts. It's crucial we are honest with our communities so that they can join us in lobbying and demanding central government provide more support to make the necessary changes.

"We urgently need community and business buy-in too, to make the massive behaviour changes that are needed. Time is running out."

The Pledge Card can be downloaded from the Council's website here: www.mendip.gov.uk/article/8650/Climate-Action

Apply for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Fund here: www.mendip.gov.uk/ccf. Applications close on August 31 2021.

Explore Mendip's climate change pages here: www.mendip.gov.uk/climatechange.

Are you interested in planting trees in your local area? Mendip can offer guidance, finance and support to make tree planting happen. Email: [email protected].