Our planet
Creating a sustainable, nature-positive city
We are committed to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss head on to ensure that Belfast can be a place where people and nature thrive together, a place where we can reduce waste and single-use plastics, harness green energy and plant more trees.
To deliver a sustainable city, we will work with our residents and industries to reduce their carbon footprints. Belfast has a great opportunity to lead the way in providing global green solutions by leveraging our unique market access and international networks to become a hub for low carbon design and manufacturing. We will therefore support our industries to thrive on all the opportunities in the green economy whilst creating a much cleaner environment.
Re-naturing the city and increasing resilience to climate change
We will support and shape a city that is learning and building on its existing strengths to become a green, transformed, and healthy city, promoting the uptake of nature-based solutions across the city to support climate. Delivery with city partner organisations of the Belfast City Air Quality Action Plan (2021–2026), will continue in improving air quality for Belfast.
We value our natural ecosystems and will nurture and expand these further in areas most needed such as our inner city, to protect and support urban communities to thrive.
We will deliver our Tree Strategy to help manage and improve the tree-scape in the city, to provide a resilient and diverse urban forest for future generations. The strategy sets out a commitment to delivering key priorities and actions over the next ten years.
Creating a sustainable circular economy
There is a real opportunity for Belfast to become a leading-edge city in driving forward a sustainable circular economy that minimises waste and promotes the sustainable use of natural resources.
This offers a potential route to reducing waste, reversing environmental harm and increasing the sustainability of products and supply chains.
Over the next three years, we will transform our throwaway economy into one where waste is reduced, resources are circulated, and nature is regenerated. Leaving no one behind, we will maximise the social opportunities of the transition and reduce the risks so that everyone benefits.
We will deliver local solutions to sustainable, healthy, and affordable food for our citizens. Bring together the right people to tackle the barriers that are preventing the uptake of energy efficiency measures in buildings across the city and develop a heat network project for the city centre to create jobs and prosperity.
In particular, we will:
- promote sustainable circular economy approaches.
- promote a Just Transition to Net Zero in Belfast.
- increase the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in Belfast and improve access to charge points.
- reduce energy consumption (and bills) of housing and public and commercial buildings.
- decarbonise the heat supply to buildings in the city.
Promote sustainable circular economy approaches
We will support the development of circular economy systems where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. We will work to reduce the carbon and environmental impact of municipal waste across Belfast, working in partnership with others to ensure items are reused, recycled or recovered.
Sustainable food
The council is supportive of the need to produce, process, distribute and dispose of good food that can contribute to thriving local economies and sustainable livelihoods, protect the diversity of both plants and animals and the welfare of farmed and wild species whilst avoiding damaging or wasting natural resources or contributing to climate change.
We will seek re-accreditation as a Sustainable Food City and prioritise the development of a Belfast Sustainable Food Strategy. We will co-ordinate the Belfast Sustainable Food Partnership and create and deliver the Belfast Sustainable Food Place whilst supporting community-based approaches to sustainable food in Belfast.
Fleet Strategy
We will continue to deliver our Fleet Strategy gradually replacing existing old fleet with new low emission vehicles, investing in necessary infrastructure on our assets to support the transition; upgrading the electrical infrastructure at Duncrue to support EV vehicles.
Belfast Retrofit Hub
In order to reduce energy consumption and costs for housing, public, and commercial buildings, support will be given to the development of a neighbourhood retrofit pilot through the Belfast Retrofit Hub.
Innovating to Net Zero
Climate Action Plan
The council will deliver its Climate Action Plan which sets out a roadmap to achieve its net zero ambitions. The plan features a range of actions across five key themes:
- Tools for Transition
- Energy and Buildings
- Transport
- Waste Management
- Adaptation
Enable the city to decarbonise at scale
Over the next three years, we will deliver on our ambition and roadmap to become an inclusive, net-zero emissions, climate-resilient economy by working with city partners to deliver the Belfast Local Area Energy Plan and develop a portfolio of net zero projects to achieve the city’s emission reduction targets and support an inclusive transition to net zero.
We will identify and respond to emerging funding opportunities, continuing to engage with investors and financial institutions. The council will lever existing and planned assets and investment through place-based interventions to become an exemplar of a low carbon economy, creating opportunities for training, employment and green growth.
The aim is to expand existing clusters of net zero technology companies which exist in Belfast to create a burgeoning GreenTech sector which drives growth across Northern Ireland and helps realise the objectives of the Green Growth Strategy.
Investment in the physical and digital infrastructure to develop a GreenTech ecosystem will encourage innovation and collaboration amongst existing companies and start-ups to draw in more investment and to unlock new high-growth technology for domestic use and export. In particular we will:
- support local energy projects.
- create an exemplar net zero park to design and demonstrate green technology.
- develop a stable supply of green energy to the Net Zero Park and surrounding lands to support the industrial cluster.
- accelerate the transition to low carbon manufacturing.
- support Green Multi-modal Mobility.
