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Introduction to the Climate Change Statement and Action Plan 2022 to 2026

What is climate change?

Climate change is the process of changing weather patterns and rising temperatures caused by a combination of natural variations and the accumulation of greenhouse gases, from industry, transport and agriculture.

Excessive greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), trap heat in the atmosphere. And the biggest source of excess greenhouse gases is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil for energy production.

To reduce the rate of climate change, the UK government and many others, have committed to a ‘net-zero’ plan, which aims to reduce the amount of CO2 we produce while increasing the amount of CO2 taken out of the atmosphere so that the proportion of CO2 in the atmosphere stops increasing.

We are seeing the negative effects of climate change in Bexley already. Our winters are getting wetter, while our summers are getting hotter and drier. These changes will affect the way we live as natural disasters like flooding and heatwaves happen more often. By working towards net zero, the UK and Bexley are helping to limit the impact of climate change.

Climate change earth

What the Government is doing

The UK has committed in law to tackle climate change, both nationally and internationally. Some of these commitments include:

  • 78% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2035 and 'net zero' by 2050
  • planting 30,000 hectares of trees a year by 2025
  • the ambition of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028
  • ending deforestation in the UK by 2030
  • stopping the sale of new pure diesel or petrol cars by 2030
  • all UK electricity coming from clean sources by 2035 (subject to security of supply)
  • cutting emissions from manufacturing by two-thirds by 2035