Sefton Council cut its carbon emissions by just 16 tonnes in 2025/26, a near standstill after cutting 41% in the first four years of its climate emergency strategy. The council has reduced total emissions by 43% since 2019 but faces rising difficulty decarbonizing the remaining sources, which are dominated by gas use in buildings (42%) and diesel fleet vehicles (27%). Council officers cited limited budgets, delayed building decarbonization projects, and the removal of some public sector decarbonisation funding as key barriers. New solar arrays at two leisure centres are projected to save 28 tonnes annually, but that barely moves the needle against a 4,854 tonne total reduction target. The local authority is now waiting on government announcements about replacement funding and exploring offsetting options. Commuting emissions actually rose 18% as staff returned to offices, partly offsetting gains from home working reductions.
