Reform led West Northants Council set to scrap net zero targets
16/07/2025
A decision will be made today
by Nadia Lincoln, Local Democracy Reporter
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has announced its intentions to alter the region’s climate change policy and scrap its net zero targets.
The new Reform UK administration has said it wants to ‘refocus’ the council’s sustainability commitments and prioritise public resources towards delivering practical, high-impact projects for residents.
This includes plans to axe the net zero targets on WNC’s operational emissions by 2030, and those of residents and businesses by 2045. The wider Government targets for the area to be net zero by 2050 would still remain.
Cllr Mark Arnull, Leader of WNC, said: “We’re fully committed to creating a more sustainable West Northamptonshire, looking after and improving our environment, and we want to further prioritise our focus on delivering practical, high-impact projects that make a real difference to people’s lives.
“The recommendations going to Cabinet next week will enable us to do this and deliver better, local outcomes for our residents and businesses that are justified financially for our taxpayers in delivering value for money.”
Just three years ago, in 2022, the authority signed onto a new pledge, putting in place the current net zero targets. The council report notes that, in line with the policy position of the new administration, it would no longer be viable to pursue them.
Though wider sustainability work would still be continued according to WNC, there would be a recognition that the organisation cannot control global climate change and is better suited to focusing on matters within its own control.
The Cabinet will meet today to discuss the proposals.
If approved, mention of the ‘climate impact’ of projects in future council reports would also be removed, replacing it with a section on the ‘environmental impact’.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Waste, Cllr Nigel Stansfield, said that the policy shift “reflects the limited ability” WNC has to materially affect global warming.
A section of the officer’s report notes that the removal of net zero targets “has some potential to damage the Council’s reputation”. It also adds that there may be some adverse impact on progress in climate impact as a result of the move, but that WNC will continue to work on areas with tangible benefits such as local nature recovery, energy efficiency and air quality.
‘A dangerous neglect of its leadership responsibilities’
Warning against the Cabinet proposals, Green Party spokesperson for West Northants, Ed Jaspers, said: “Ambitious targets aren’t about perfection, they’re about direction. It will drive far more progress, investment, and innovation than no goal at all.
“A target is not a prediction, it’s a commitment to act. These targets don’t exist to be easy, they exist to make sure we don’t forget how urgent the issue is.
“The Climate Change Committee has confirmed that UK net zero by 2050 is urgently needed and is still possible. But to get there is going to require us all to work together.
“West Northants Council has shown a dangerous neglect of its leadership responsibilities by proposing to scrap the targets that can help drive a transition to make our region – and our nation – healthier, greener and more prosperous.”
The local party also says that WNC’s report does not identify any specific savings that the commitment change will realise. It also criticised the report’s claims that it could secure better results for local people as “incoherent”, stating that the authority already has direct responsibility for pursuing policies with tangible implications under the existing net zero strategy.
Leader of the West Northants Labour group, Sally Keeble, said it was ‘shocking’ that there had been no public consultation, given the number of people passionate about tackling climate change in the area.
She continued: “A whole community of climate change campaigners have had the rug pulled from under their feet.
“Climate change is the biggest challenge of our times, with the biggest impact on our communities and planet. It is also one of the most difficult in policy terms, requiring strong political leadership backed up by detailed work. By dropping the net zero goals Reform is ducking its responsibility to act now to protect the future.
“It’s no good having a general commitment to sustainability without a clear roadmap to net zero. It’s nonsense to say there are no implications for poorer communities. Climate change always has the biggest impact on the poorest people. Look at the vulnerable people washed out of caravans repeatedly on Billing Aquadrome.
“Reform have jettisoned a commitment to protect the future for short term political expediency.”
Lib Dem group Leader Jonathan Harris said: “This move, to remove local targets comes as absolutely no surprise at all. We know who is in charge of Reform UK at West Northamptonshire Council and it’s not the local cabinet.
“The reality is that although the previous administration agreed to the targets, they had done little to actually make that much progress, despite the fact there are energy savings to be had with the right investment.
“The reality is this. Net zero for 2050 is embedded into law. It’s embedded into the National Planning Policy Framework. It’s embedded into public sector procurement rules and our local businesses such as Silverstone, Aston Martin, and Nationwide are all on this journey, so it leaves West Northants Council completely out on a limb and showing a real lack leadership.
“Reform UK talk about net stupid zero, but it’s backed by the UN, the IMF, major economies and global energy leaders. If net zero is ‘stupid’, then I would love to hear what the serious alternatives are.
“The cost of doing nothing – or worse – mocking action – is one that this country can’t afford.”
‘Net Zero 2030 was never going to be achieved’
However, some councillors have been vocal in their support for Reform’s changes to the local climate policy.
In a public statement, Independent councillor Ian McCord said the 2030 target was “never going to be achieved as the council has no plan, no budget and no financial or technically viable solutions”.
He continued: “The previous council from all parties have been gaslighting the residents. They are more interested in pandering to the woke, the dreamers, anti capitalists and those with luxury opinions who can afford the changes they want to impose on others.
“Moving forward with a more sensible environmental and sustainability policy that finds a sensible balance between conservation, technological, commercial and financial reality is the right way ahead.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
Reader's opinions
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Carol Wing On 16/07/2025 at 3:10 pm
Every individual on the planet can have an effect on the Global environment. How ‘stupid’ and narrow minded of Reform to say they have limited ability to affect it!!
Utterly ridiculous!