MK Labour Party is pledging to make Milton Keynes the world’s greenest city with radical plans to tackle climate change.

In January, Milton Keynes Council agreed a new Sustainability Strategy that promised to make MK carbon neutral by 2030, and MK Labour are pledging to go further by making MK carbon negative by 2050. If successful in May’s local election, MK Labour are promising to bring forward an Action Plan on concrete steps to achieve the goal of making MK the world’s first post-carbon city.

Milton Keynes is the only existing fully developed city to commit to becoming carbon negative, meaning that the city will store or capture more carbon that it consumes, by 2050. The only other places to so far commit to the idea are unbuilt newly planned developments in China and the Middle East.

MK Labour’s pledges to tackle climate change are:

• Publish an Action Plan this year on steps to become carbon neutral by 2030;
• Hold a conference in the summer to work with communities and interest groups to develop the plan;
• Launch a green energy company to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills;
• Develop plans for a Mass Transport system in MK to reduce car use;
• Investigate introducing free public transport for the under 30s;
• Ensure green space in all new developments:
• Fight for the freedom to set higher environmental standards in new housing;
• Plant a tree for every new home built until 2050;
• Oppose the East-West Expressway road until the Oxford to Cambridge Rail Link is fully operational and other environmental mitigation is in place;
• Create 500 green jobs in MK by 2023.

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader of MK Council said: “Tackling climate change is one of the biggest issues facing not just Milton Keynes, but all local and national governments. MK Labour is therefore pledging that Milton Keynes will be the world’s greenest city with radical plans to transform the way we create and use energy, develop a proper, cheap to use, mass public transport system, and fight for higher environmental standards in new homes.”

He continued: “Taking no action will see future generations far worse off. Choosing to be radical does not mean damaging our economy. Putting Milton Keynes at the forefront of a global urban green revolution will create jobs and prosperity here in MK. Ensuring all our energy is produced locally and sustainably will mean not only are we environmentally friendly, but it will put more money into our local economy. We will also oppose the East-West Expressway until the long delayed rail link is open and the Government commits to fund sustainable measures such as cycle routes, wildlife corridors and improved access to public transport.” 

Cllr Marland concluded: “Milton Keynes has a history of taking pioneering decisions, so we have committed to be carbon neutral by 2030 and will work with the community and interested parties to develop our Action Plan. We are also going further, making the world-leading pledge to be the first developed city in the world to commit to being a post carbon place by 2050. Working together to deliver this will mean that not only will MK continue to be a great place to live, but we will do our bit to ensure that future generations inherit a sustainable planet.”