Wakefield Council has voted to scrap its 2030 carbon neutrality target and cut its climate change budget by £170,000. The Reform-led administration called the previous Labour-era goals unachievable and unnecessary. The council will also unpublish its climate action plan, end support for the Wakefield Net Zero Partnership, and withdraw from the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission pledge. Campaign group Just Transition Wakefield says the move removes climate expertise from the council and hides climate action rather than continuing it. The council says it will focus on practical local actions like making its 1,600+ property portfolio more efficient and improving recycling rates. The decision signals a significant shift in local climate policy in the UK.
