Oxford City Council has announced a 6% annual reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions for 2023/24, cutting emissions from 5,994 tonnes in the previous year to 5,581 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
The figures, published in the Council’s latest Greenhouse Gas Emissions report, mark a 27% reduction compared to baseline levels in 2019/20. The progress puts the Council further along its journey towards its ambitious goal of becoming net zero carbon across all operations by 2030.
“I am pleased that we are continuing to reduce our carbon emissions as an organisation and that we have achieved a 27% decrease against our set baseline (2019-20), and have saved the Council £0.5m annually in energy savings since 2009.
“We publish this annual data to be transparent and open about our journey to net zero and the work we are doing to address the climate emergency. As an organisation we are responsible for just 1% of Oxford’s carbon emissions, however we remain committed to achieving our 2030 goal and introducing meaningful carbon reduction measures to reach this target.”
Councillor Anna Railton, Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for a Zero Carbon Oxford
Measures Driving the Reduction
In 2023/24, the Council rolled out a number of decarbonisation projects across its buildings and facilities:
- A low-emissivity ceiling installed at Oxford Ice Rink to improve heat retention.
- Energy-efficient showers fitted at two leisure centres.
- A full LED lighting replacement at one of the Council’s depots.
- Sport England-funded upgrades at Barton Leisure Centre, including LEDs, energy-efficient showers, and expanded solar capacity.
- Continued roll-out of the Council’s city-wide LED replacement programme.
Looking Ahead
- Plans for 2024/25 include:
- Exploring the feasibility of a city centre heat network.
- Optimising battery storage across leisure sites.
- Commissioning a long-term Energy Procurement Review.
City-Wide Climate Action
Beyond its own operations, the Council is collaborating with major local institutions, including the universities and hospitals, through the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership. The city-wide initiative aims to reach net zero emissions by 2040, with a county-wide target of 2050.
Since carbon reporting began in 2014/15, the Council’s “business as usual” reduction rate has been 5% annually, but meeting the 2030 net zero goal will require annual cuts of 10% compared to the 2019/20 baseline.
