Oxford City Council secures £265k for decarbonisation plan

The council has secured £265,032 of funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, on behalf of the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership.

This financial boost will pave the way for a plan which will craft a path for Oxford's industry to decarbonise.

This will aim to meet the city's objective to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, a decade earlier than the government's legal deadline.

Susan Brown (Image: Oxford City Council)

Councillor Susan Brown, chair of the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership, said: "Our ambitions for Oxford were set by our Citizens Assembly and are unashamedly ambitious.

"But we have been making good progress towards our goal of a Zero Carbon Oxford by 2040.

"This funding will allow the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership to develop a detailed roadmap and plan to do this in a fair and effective way."

The council noted that around 17 per cent of the city's emissions are industry-related, with two-thirds of the industrial processes powered by gas.

There is a push from the council to cut industrial energy demand by 45 per cent and electrify half of the industrial functions.

The Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership formed by the city is composed of universities, NHS trusts, councils, large businesses, further education and community organisations, who jointly came up with the Zero Carbon Oxford Roadmap and Action Plan.

With the successful funding bid, plans are looking to expand on the preliminary Zero Carbon Oxford roadmap and to develop an industry-specific roadmap and action plan.

With the funding, Oxford City Council and partners aim to generate a strategic industrial decarbonisation roadmap, establish a group within the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership, and increase the capacity of organisations to carry out projects in line with the industry roadmap.

Pete Sudbury (Image: Newsquest)

Oxfordshire County Councillor, deputy leader, Pete Sudbury, said: “Oxfordshire, with its strong record of innovation, is in an excellent position to lead the drive to net zero.

"I'm proud to be part of a council that has backed strong and effective climate action from the outset and is continuing to collaborate with business and industry for the financial, health and climate benefits of delivering decarbonisation for residents and communities.”

This news comes after the council and partners last month received a £150,000 grant to explore a new approach to retrofitting.

The project, now under examination, is set to run until December and businesses are urged to complete a survey about their current processes, energy demand and decarbonisation plans.