Winchester City Council is set to reveal a forecasted 96 per cent reduction in its carbon emissions.

The announcement is expected when figures are released in early 2025.

In 2019, the council declared a climate emergency, subsequently focusing on reducing its own carbon emissions, while also aiding organisations and communities across the district in their efforts.

The council recently released a short film showcasing the culmination of these efforts.

The anticipated reduction equates to a total of 1,596 tonnes of carbon, which is comparable to the annual electricity usage of 2,855 average households.

This figure includes all emissions directly controlled by the council, such as energy consumed in its buildings and usage by its vehicles.

The council has committed to accelerating its green initiatives, embedding the climate emergency within all its operations. The commitment is reflected in its council plan.

Recently, it was granted a silver accreditation as a carbon literate organisation, following a comprehensive staff training programme.

Winchester City Council is among only five authorities nationwide to have achieved this level of recognition.

To realise this significant carbon emission reduction, the council implemented a variety of impactful measures.

These steps included switching to low carbon fuel for its waste vehicles and park and ride buses, using 100 per cent renewable energy, and minimising overall energy consumption in its buildings.

The council also began generating its own energy by installing solar panels, retrofitting its homes with energy-saving measures, and managing its land to store more carbon in nature.

Cllr Kelsie Learney, cabinet member for the climate emergency said: "We always knew getting to carbon neutral in such a short time was really ambitious, but we have to challenge ourselves. Now is not the time to stand still if we want to ensure a cleaner, greener future for our children and grandchildren.

"It’s an incredible achievement to have reduced our emissions so significantly in this amount of time; we’ve shown we can make a positive impact and the lessons we’ve learned will help us as we set our sights firmly on going greener faster and driving down emissions across the whole district by 2030."

Looking ahead, the council forecasts a 40 per cent reduction in emissions for activities outside its direct control, compared to the 2023/24 figures.

This encompasses fuel used by external contractors.

The short film detailing the council's journey in reducing its carbon emissions, along with more information, can be viewed on the council’s website at winchester.gov.uk/climate-change-and-energy.