Climate change

Our climate is changing and human activity is the primary driver of this change. The main human influence on global climate is emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂). This is released when we burn fossil fuels, such as gas and oil, to heat and power our homes and businesses and to run our vehicles. The gases trap heat in the atmosphere, increasing the warming of the earth.

International and national agreements, commit the UK to drastically reducing its carbon emissions. In May 2019, UK Parliament declared an environment and climate emergency. The UK Climate Change Act (2008) was then amended to set a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.The previous target was to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050

Cutting our carbon

Each year the government provides data on carbon emissions in each local authority area. Between 2005 and 2019 (the latest data available) total per capita emissions from housing, industry and transport fell by 41% in Wyre Forest. Whilst this is good progress there is much to be done to make sure this trend continues. Our climate action and carbon reduction plan sets out how we intend to tackle climate change in Wyre Forest. This includes actions to reduce emissions from our homes, businesses and transport and to address the impacts of climate change in the area. We also work with other organisations in the county to deliver the Worcestershire Energy Strategy.

Cutting your carbon

There are lots of things we can all do to cut our carbon emissions- and often save money too. To find out about your environmental impact, use an online calculator such as the WWF Footprint Calculator

Find out more about cutting your carbon emissions by:

• Saving energy and cutting your fuel bills.
• Installing renewable energy such as solar power.
• Reducing waste and recycling more
• Using greener transport, such as walking, cycling, public transport & car sharing.
• Making your business more efficient.

Weird weather in Wyre Forest

A detailed Worcestershire Climate Change Impacts Study has been carried out.

This revealed changes in Worcestershire's climate, for example winters have become much wetter relative to summers. Our climate is expected to carry on changing, with changes in temperature and rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme weather events such as storms and floods. Predictions depend on future emissions -the higher the emissions, the more extreme the changes are likely to be.