02 November, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to you today to talk about COP26. I mentioned this important Climate Change Conference, which is taking place in Glasgow over the next fortnight, in my message to you all at the end of last week. 

COP26 is the 26th Conference of the Parties, hosted by the UN to discuss action on climate change. This particular conference is being viewed as pivotal in the race to keep the rise in global average temperature below 1.5C. And this is why we must all take note and take action. 

Yesterday, I attended a tour of the new net zero carbon primary school at Rhoose Point (Llancarfan Primary), which will be the first of its kind in operation in Wales. The Minister for Education, Jeremy Miles, also attended the visit and used it as an opportunity to announce that all new school and college buildings, including major refurbishment and extension projects will be required to meet Net Zero Carbon targets from January 1st next year.

Those buildings, like Llancarfan Primary School, will be required to be Net Zero Carbon in operation, which means producing zero or negative carbon emissions as part of their operational energy. You can read more about this project on Staffnet+.

This is just one example of how we, as an organisation, are working towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030, through our Project Zero. Our Transport team have also been singled out for praise for their innovative work in the area. This week their work to promote the health benefits of active travel was highlighted by the Office of Future Generations in their regular newsletter. 

I will provide more details on projects, and the teams behind them, in my usual weekly message to you on Friday. 

In the meantime, we will be tweeting every day to contribute to the conversation around climate change whilst COP26 is underway. Helping encourage public discussion about how to tackle climate change is one of many ways the Council can show leadership on the issue so please do take the time to look at our posts and get involved. 

There are other ways in which you can get involved in COP26, such as watching live streams from the conference through their YouTube channel. The Welsh Government are also hosting COPCymru – a series of virtual events encouraging people in Wales to get involved in discussions around climate change. 

There are also small changes we can all make in our daily lives to reduce our impact on the environment. Here are just a few:

• Shop locally, for local produce – this helps reduce food miles but also helps the local economy.
• Recycle – in Wales we are ahead of the curve when it comes to the amount we recycle, but we can all do more to reduce our waste. Think about any unnecessary packaging you may be picking up through your weekly shop – can this be reduced?
• Stop wasting water – switch off the tap when brushing your teeth, limit the amount of time you spend in the shower or try to reduce the amount of washing you do each week.
• Switch off devices – don’t just put your laptop or television on standby, turn them off to stop using power.
• Reduce car journeys if you can – take the train, cycle, walk or car share to reduce carbon emissions. 

It’s vitally important that we all play our part in contributing to the reduction in Carbon emissions and do our bit for the environment.

If you have any more tips, please feel free to share these to be included in future messages or through our Staffnet infographics and social media channels.

Diolch yn fawr,

Rob.