Mayor of Wellington Mark Lithgow has welcomed the town council’s decision to address the climate emergency.

The council agreed at its latest monthly meeting that it and the town should take rapid steps to reduce carbon emissions with the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The council has asked its environment and open spaces committee to develop a strategy that will see the council work to become carbon neutral and set out how it will work with local residents, businesses and other groups to support the town as a whole becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Mr Lithgow said: “This is an important step for the council to take. We have over the last few years had some initiatives that supported environmental improvements but this is the first time we have made dealing with climate change a specific priority that we need to address. With the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow in November it is time for us all to reflect on what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Environment and open spaces committee chairman Mike McGuffie said: “Recent extreme and unusual weather around the world shows how import it is to fight climate change and achieve the UK target of net zero carbon emissions. The new council policy aims to help ensure a successful and prosperous ‘low carbon’ Wellington for our children and grandchildren.”