In July 2019 Watford Borough Council declared a Climate Emergency and set out their commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the borough and of the council itself.
The goal is to make the borough carbon neutral by 2030 and this will require making big changes to the way we all live, travel, and work in Watford. You can read more about it in the council’s Sustainability Strategy Part 1 – 2020 TO 2023 and the three-page Strategy Summary.
Published on 09 July 2020
COMPLETE THE SUSTAINABILITY SURVEY
One of the most important issues for us to tackle is reducing car use – roads are already congested and our town continues to grow. If we collectively started to reduce car journeys, traffic on the roads would decrease along with carbon and the other emissions that cause harmful air pollution.
With this in mind the Watford council has been working on providing alternative modes of transport for residents that make leaving the car behind an easy decision:
- Beryl bike share scheme is live with 300 bikes and up to 70 drop off and pick up points across the town
- On 1 July Arriva Click on-demand bus service launched with 7 new 15 seater minibuses that operate across the town bringing people where the need to go rather than following a fixed route
- The new travelWatford app is now live and ready to download from Play and App stores with information on these new initiatives and all the available options people have for getting from a pick-up to drop-off points in the town.
The town also supports the take up of electric vehicles through an e-car hire scheme and by introducing seven new EV charging points at various locations. An investment in a new building for the Watford Cycle Hub which will provide more support services for cyclists has also taken place.
An action plan to help to reach the carbon-neutral 2030 goal has been developed by a newly established Sustainability Forum consisting of council officers and elected councillors.
People Power is a key part of the council’s strategy, who are committed to working with communities and businesses. Please get in touch on sustainability@watford.gov.uk to collaborate. You can also find the Sustainability Open Forum to express your views on making Watford a cleaner, greener town HERE.