News / Sustainability
This is how close Bristol is to achieving net-zero status
New data has found that Bristol is one of the top UK cities closest to becoming net-zero.
Data from alldayPA shared data that placed Bristol in a promising position to achieve the net-zero target by 2030.
In 2018, Bristol became the first UK authority to declare a climate emergency and committed to the climate further by declaring an emergency and announcing the One City Plan.
is needed now More than ever
In the data, Bristol was the third closest UK city to achieve net-zero status and was below Southampton and Brighton & Hove.
Bristol has the seventh best air quality rating, with the lower the figure the better, at 2,537. Nottingham, which is top of the list, has a rating of 2,342.
The city saw air quality improve during 2020 as 46.6 per cent of the UK’s workforce worked from home. result of the pandemic meant that fewer people were using cars, taxis and public transport to get to work.
As a popular cycling city, Bristol has also seen a rise in electric bikes.
“There is a huge, direct potential to cut carbon emissions in UK cities with the use of electric bikes. By switching from using a car to an eBike to commute to and from work, research has shown that, on average, a person can reduce their carbon footprint by 200kg (0.2t) per year,” said the founder of Avaris eBikes, Richard Heys.
“Not only is choosing an eBike over a car or other means of public transport better for the environment, it allows cyclists to bypass a lot of the traffic many cities suffer with, especially during peak times. Less cars on our roads means less toxic carbon emissions are polluting the environment.”
To look more into Bristol’s journey to becoming a net-zero city, Bristol24/7 hosted a panel event with experts from the Global Goals Centre, TLT, the Green and Black ambassadors, and The Future Economy Group. You can rewatch it here.
Main photo: Rob Browne
Read more: Is Bristol a leader in sustainability?
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