Blaenau Gwent Council has approved plans to cut carbon emissions by working with businesses and residents across the county.

Blaenau Gwent Council has put together a plan to tackle carbon emissions and is now working with various partners and residents in the area to do so.

This plan, known as the Net Zero 2050 Framework, gives a brief overview of the steps needed to reach net zero in the borough.

The framework touches on emissions from homes, businesses, and transportation.

An aspect of the framework is a Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP). This models possible futures for a zero-carbon energy system in the area. It was endorsed by the councillors.

The LAEP identifies big tasks that need to be tackled to attain Net Zero, such as the shift to zero-carbon alternatives from petrol and diesel vehicles and gas heating.

The energy system constitutes 70 per cent of Blaenau Gwent's carbon emissions.

The decarbonisation aims to ensure that the council reduces its emissions and becomes a helpful player in the transition to net zero.

Councillor Helen Cunningham, the council’s cabinet member for place and environment said: "Responding to the climate and nature emergencies remains a top priority for us, and we take our contribution to this global issue very seriously.

"Through our Decarbonisation Plan, we are doing what we can to reduce the emissions we create delivering our services and are looking at new ways of doing things to reflect our environmental responsibilities.

"To take significant strides forward, we acknowledge that local action needs to happen alongside action on a regional and national basis too.

"However, we must also be bold and be ready in our planning, as should those changes take place without substantial local action, we will not achieve a Net Zero energy system in Blaenau Gwent."

The framework is organised around energy, housing, nature, and transport.

These were disclosed by the Blaenau Gwent Climate Assembly. This group comprised 44 residents who spent 23 hours in March 2021, deliberating on how to combat climate change in the area and not affect the standards of living.

The Local Area Energy Plan has been financed by the Welsh Government, and will shape the anticipated National Energy Plan.

Blaenau Gwent has managed to cut down its carbon emissions by 44 per cent from 2005 to 2022, according to the most recent figures.