Lincolnshire County Council bid to save £12m by cutting carbon emissions

The strategy will see the authority aim to reduce its carbon output by 5,736 tonnes by 2023, a 20 per cent reduction from a baseline of 28,679.

Senior county councillors backed the strategy and said it was a “pragmatic” way of reducing emissions.

As part of the plan, the authority will take on projects such as upgrading streetlights and installing solar panels to council buildings.

Around £10.7 million was spent by the council on energy costs in 2017 alone.

Officials at the authority said the proposals could save £12.4 million by the end of the plan due to a potential rise in costs in the coming years.

County council leader Martin Hill said the strategy was a sensible move following two previous carbon plans. “It’s a win win situation,” he said.

“We think by being pragmatic and sensible we can save carbon emissions and money.

“I think it is very important and we need to lead by example and we can do that pragmatically without going out and investing in wild schemes.”

The authority has secured £5,035 million worth of funding for its existing projects, but has yet to cost future plans.

A total of 22 initiatives to cut carbon have been identified by the council as part of the plan.

Councillor Colin Davie, executive member for economy and place, said the plan’s target needed to be high.

“We have come a long way in the last decade,” he said.

“This plan needs to be ambitious and it is one agenda that most of the public are really engaged in.”