Eastbourne Borough Council has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Achieving carbon neutrality means working to reduce our carbon emissions and offsetting them to bring our overall emissions to zero. We need to do this to curb further heating of our planet to prevent average global temperatures from exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This will help us avoid the worst consequences of climate change – as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).
Carbon neutrality will also benefit our community by reducing pollution, increasing biodiversity, improving our health and wellbeing, and supporting sustainable economic growth through investment, innovation and the creation of green jobs. With less than seven years to go, this commitment requires us all to come together and take action sooner rather than later.
The Eastbourne Eco Action Network (EEAN) is a cross-community collaboration that is working with Eastbourne Borough Council and others to deliver a carbon neutral Eastbourne by 2030. EEAN is keen to establish markers that can be used to measure the town's progress in reducing carbon emissions and they are inviting all of our households and organisations to help by completing a survey between January 17th and February 14th 2024. This will provide an important snapshot of the various strategies that organisations and households are adopting to reduce their emissions.
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, Eastbourne needs to set targets which we can use to track our progress each year and so direct attention to areas that need more support.
The survey and analysis will lead to a public meeting - a Symposium – at Eastbourne Town Hall on Saturday 20th April, where we will publicise our progress and share effective ways forward for us all.
This will become an annual event in the run-up to 2030.
To obtain your copy of the survey please contact plasticfreeeastbourne@gmail.com
Oliver Sterno,Community Leader for Plastic Free Eastbourne, said: “This may well be the very first time that an effort to set targets for annual review as 'incremental stepping stones' has been set up. For me, it is the best and most effective way for following this strategic pathway with a view to monitoring and evaluating as we make our way towards achieving our goal.”
Andrew Durling, Director of Eastbourne Eco Action Network, said: “setting annual targets to help make Eastbourne carbon neutral by 2030 is not only a practical strategy but also a way of helping to make our town cleaner, safer, and more resilient in the face of climate change”.
Cllr Jim Murray, Cabinet Lead for Climate Change at Eastbourne Borough Council, said “This type of information will directly help steer the council in the right direction, with the support of the residents, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, working together to improve the town”.
