Devon County Council (DCC) have stabilised their carbon emissions, avoiding a post-pandemic ‘bounce back’ and remaining ahead of schedule to be net-zero by 2030.

Initial concerns that pandemic lockdowns artificially lowered emissions, via reduced travel for work and lower energy usage in corporate buildings, have been assuaged. 2022 figures are almost nine percent lower than pre-lockdown figures for 2019/2020.

Ongoing energy efficiency projects that have contributed to this include the installation of solar arrays and heat pumps in DCC corporate buildings, the ongoing replacement of 79,000 streetlights with more efficient LEDs, and more use of renewables as opposed to fossil fuels.