THE City of Edinburgh Council has been accused of “abject failure” on climate after it was revealed that they are set to again miss a key net zero target.
The annual progress report of Edinburgh Council’s Council Emissions Reduction Plan, revealed earlier this month, showed that the council is set to exceed its carbon budget for the three-year period ending in April next year.
When the report was referred to the meeting of the full City of Edinburgh Council yesterday, a Greens addendum was passed which called for an emergency meeting of key council members to “get the council back on track” on emissions reduction.
Speaking at the meeting, council leader Jane Meagher said that the council had to balance its responsibilities to reducing emissions with its responsibilities to tackling the housing crisis and pointed out that the carbon budgets are not mandatory.
Edinburgh Council has been accused of “dragging its feet by the city’s Green Group (C) Kim Traynor / Wikimedia Commons
According to the statistics detailed earlier this month, the council has seen a 2.2% reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases it emits since 2024/25, 17% since 2018, and 68% since 2005.
Despite this reduction, the council is on track to exceed the carbon budget which it sets as goals for emissions reduction for itself every three years, with 98% of the budget already used for the three-year period ending in April next year.
This is based solely on Edinburgh Council’s buildings and operations and does not consider emissions from the rest of the city.
The council admitted earlier this year that it could be set to miss its own climate targets.
Following the meeting, the Greens accused the labour administration of “dragging its feet” on reducing the council’s carbon footprint.
Edinburgh Green Group co-convenor Councillor Chas Booth said: “Edinburgh Council should be leading by example, not dragging its feet when it comes to cutting its own climate emissions.
“It is absolutely right that we urge our residents and businesses to insulate their buildings and choose low-carbon transport options, but if the council doesn’t also get its own house in order, then it looks like hypocrisy.
“The truth is, the council’s emissions are way off track, and this is an abject failure of leadership on the climate crisis by this administration.”
He continued: “I’m glad that the Green addendum to refer the report to an emergency meeting of the all-party oversight group has been agreed.
“I hope this will focus the minds of those committee convenors responsible, and ensure the council puts in place the actions that are needed to address the climate and nature emergencies within its own remit and get back on track.
“In particular, I hope to see more focus on cutting emissions from the council’s own buildings, including schools, and on decarbonising the council’s fleet of vehicles.”
In a press briefing earlier this month, however, council leader Jane Meagher said that the council’s net zero goals were still “in hand” despite challenges.
A series of advancements were outlined, mostly in housing, retrofitting, and zero-emissions-heating that could help the council to accelerate its climate reduction plans.
The council has seen a 2.2% reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases it emits since 2024/25, 17% since 2018, and 68% since 2005.
During yesterday’s full council meeting, she reiterated the challenges involved in reducing emissions.
She said: “We are a growing city, we need to balance our carbon reduction measures with our approach to the nature and housing crises.
“The city also has a net zero target, and we must lead by example while continuing to work with partners in progressing citywide decarbonisation.
“For our organisation, we need to continue focus on delivering our key strategies that will optimise our buildings estate.
“For the city, we need to continue to deliver the local heating and energy efficiency strategy and city mobility plan and deliver key infrastructure which will help us to meet our targets.”
Meagher initially wanted to move her motion which noted the council’s emissions reduction progress.
Instead, she accepted the addendum from the Green group which called the emergency meeting, following their intervention.
The emergency meeting will concern the climate emergency, and also the nature emergency, which was declared by Edinburgh Council in 2023 which noted the “alarming extent of the global nature and biodiversity crisis”.
Invites will be extended to the convenors and vice convenors of all executive committees, as well as the convenors and vice convenors of Governance Risk and Best Value Committee, Pensions Committee, Planning Committee, Regulatory Committee and the chair of the Integration Joint Board and will take place within the next six weeks.
Related