Belfast is celebrating a fantastic achievement, having retained its A-grade status for climate action for the fourth year in a row. Our city remains the only one in Ireland, and one of only 20 in the UK, to receive this internationally recognised accolade from the Carbon Disclosure Project. This top ranking highlights the many climate initiatives taking place and the significant steps being taken to reduce carbon emissions, moving us closer to our net-zero targets.
With Earth Day recently celebrated under the theme 'Our Power, Our Planet', it's a perfect time to reflect on the progress made and to encourage everyone to consider how small daily changes can collectively support our environment right across the city, including here in North Belfast.
Councillor Micheal Donnelly, Chair of the city's Climate and City Resilience Committee, shared his delight in showcasing the ongoing work. "We are committed to active travel, reducing pollution, planting more trees, using clean transport technology, investigating better ways of heating and powering the city, greening the city and developing a sustainable food network," he stated. "Everyone can play their part though – from leaving the car at home where possible, to using up leftovers, recycling your food, plastic, glass and cardboard waste; small changes can really help."
Across Belfast, and impacting many of us directly, significant changes are already underway. Over 200 council venues, including landmarks like City Hall, Belfast Zoo, and our local leisure and community centres, now receive green electricity from a new wind farm at Ballyutoag in the Belfast Hills. This means our community hubs are powered by renewable sources.
Solar power is also making a difference right here in North Belfast. The Donegall Pass Community Centre now runs on solar panels installed on its roof. Since these panels were switched on in March, the centre has been effectively off-grid for 80% of the time – a brilliant example of local sustainability! Other solar panel installations, such as at the Grow NI community garden in the Waterworks, are also being trialled to see how this approach can be expanded to more council properties.
Our city's vehicles are becoming greener too. A large part of the council's fleet, including many of our bin lorries, now runs on Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO). This eco-friendly fuel significantly reduces CO2 emissions and other pollutants, making our air cleaner. Additionally, 31 vehicles are fully electric, releasing zero emissions into the atmosphere.
We're also being supported to play our part. The completed UP2030 project focused on creating net-zero neighbourhoods in areas including Donegall Pass, the Linen Quarter, Sandy Row, Barrack Street, and The Market. This work explored opportunities for more energy-efficient homes, green spaces, and safer walking and cycling routes, aiming to cut emissions and boost resilience to climate change. The valuable lessons learned from this project will now help inform future engagement with other neighbourhoods across Belfast as we all work towards our net-zero goals.
Every small action contributes to a larger, positive impact. By embracing these changes, we can help ensure Belfast remains a beautiful, safe, and stable city for all residents, now and for generations to come.