Net zero route map & action plan (NZRMAP)

Summary

Tackling climate change is an international priority – for governments, businesses, and citizens. There is widespread consensus to reduce carbon emissions at the international, national and local scale. The UK Government has committed to reach net zero by 2050, and in Oxfordshire, all districts and sectors have adopted targets that strive to achieve this sooner. Oxfordshire’s local authorities have committed to varying net zero target dates ranging from 2030 to 2050.

To support the objective of a net zero Oxfordshire, this project commissioned by the Future Oxfordshire Partnership (now the Oxfordshire Leaders Joint Committee) is a Route Map and Action Plan for the county that is intended to identify areas for joint actions that the Oxfordshire local authorities can take together to provide a catalyst for positive action across the region. Building on existing work, such as Pathways to a Net Zero Carbon Oxfordshire (PaZCO) and the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership (ZCOP), this study updates relevant evidence and sets out collaboratively developed actions, that are ambitious, locally owned and aligned to existing initiatives.

The report details:

• The emission reductions necessary to achieve net zero by 2050
• The key milestones in 2025, 2030 and 2040
• Carbon budgets of maximum emissions that can be emitted to maintain this pathway
• KPIs to track progress
• Recommended areas for OLJC members to work on jointly to accelerate action

Key Outputs

The prioritised actions from the Net Zero Route Map and Action Plan being taken forward as core OLJC workstreams are:

• Develop an on-going Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) function
• Buildings decarbonisation
• Accelerate the roll out of publicly accessible EV chargepoints
• Explore opportunities to enhance carbon sequestration through land use change, including targeted habitat restoration and creation
• Explore new funding mechanisms to support delivery of net zero activity

Current Status

The five prioritised workstreams are underway, overseen by the Oxfordshire Leaders Joint Committee. An update on countywide emissions and progress toward net zero targets will be provided to OLJC on an annual basis.

The workstreams under the prioritised actions are focussed on supporting mobilisation of external investment.

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