Building a greener future for Barnet
- We developed an evidence-led Sustainability Action Plan to put us on the path to becoming a net zero council by 2030 and borough by 2042. We currently rank in the top 18% of all local authorities nationally, through the 2023 Climate Scorecards
- We’ve installed solar panels, LED lighting and air source heat pumps in 36 schools, with an estimated annual carbon saving of 1,040 tonnes
- We’ve made all our pool cars hybrid and have installed over 1,500 electric vehicle charge points (with a further 500 to be installed this year), helping to reduce vehicle emissions which account for 65% of local pollution. We also launched six school streets last year.
- To alleviate the risk of flooding in local communities, we began work on the first of our Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SuDS) at Halliwick Recreation Ground. Some 38 high-priority and 507 at-risk sites have been identified for future projects, which will also increase biodiversity
- A £1.5m transformation project began at Watling Park in Burnt Oak, including the creation of new wetland areas to reduce the risk of flooding
- Cherry Tree Wood Park in East Finchley received the coveted Green Flag award - the international quality mark for parks and green spaces
- We launched a new campaign with Green Doctors, to support residents with free home energy efficiency advice, aimed at helping them reduce their energy bills and contribute to the borough’s net zero targets
- We supported Barnet Homes to make home energy efficiency upgrades in over 600 council homes, helping residents to keep warm whilst saving money and energy
- We’ve planted nearly 2,000 of the 5,000 trees we aim to plant by 2028, and our new interactive tree portal highlights the eco-benefits of over 50,000 trees managed by the council. Together, these trees store 52,000 tonnes of carbon, sequester 1,317 tonnes of CO₂ annually, and prevent 54,500 cubic metres of surface water runoff
- We opened the Edgware Constructure and Green Skills Centre, providing built environment training and apprenticeships for new build, green skills and retrofit and offering expert advice and micro-grants to help local businesses make the transition towards net zero.
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