The Government, Cornwall Council and our local councils have declared 'climate emergencies', with 'Net Zero' carbon target dates variously of 2030 and 2050, but what does that really mean?

What are ‘net zero’ carbon targets and how do we all play our part?

Broadly, net zero means being as energy efficient at possible at home, work, school and when we’re out and out about, whilst maximising our use of renewable energy sources and off-setting or balancing any unavoidable emissions by measures that actually remove CO2 from the atmosphere. But when you try to get into the detail, you run into all sorts of questions and concerns such as the potential costs of switching to low carbon heating. At the moment we don’t have all the answers and are working through the challenges together.

WREN's amazing new project, Net Zero Community, or NZCom for short, aims to determine what is necessary for a community like ours to achieve net zero carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and show how everyone in the community can make the transition to a net zero carbon future, not just those who can afford to. If we can find something that will work for us, it may well then work as a model for others – certainly across towns and rural communities in the UK, if not necessarily in the big cities.

No one really knows what net zero looks like at a community level, so WREN is pioneering once again – and we cannot do it without your help.

We have held several workshops with a focus group to hear views and concerns, and there have been several meetings with an advisory group of experts and stakeholders. The future changes will affect us all and we want to make sure that nobody is left behind.

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