Talk to Rotary Club of Cheltenham by Cllr Parnham on behalf of CK Futures

Cllr Felicity Parnham was invited to speak to the Rotary Club on behalf of CK Futures. She attended a virtual meeting on 25th May 2021 and shared Charlton Kings Parish Council's response to Cheltenham Borough Council's climate emergency declaration and its aim to be carbon neutral by 2030. There were some insightful questions and the response to some of them is set out below:

What is carbon neutral? - The dictionary definition - 'Making or resulting in no net release of harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, especially as a result of carbon offsetting eg planting trees.'

What is net zero? - 'Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. We reach net zero when the amount we add is no more than the amount taken away.'*National Grid. Terms such as carbon neutral and net zero are used interchangeably and the definitions are not clear, but the bottom line is the UK needs to be in a position where our carbon emissions are zero by 2050 (if not before). CK Futures has some useful information relating to greenhouse gasses and carbon footprint which may be of interest uploads/cf-guide-faqs-v11.pdf

Can the grid cope with the increased demand for electricity? - The experts are not in full agreement but see the response from the National Grid who believe it is possible to cope with the shift - at least to accommodate electric vehicles https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/journey-to-net-zero-stories/can-grid-cope-extra-demand-electric-cars. A recent talk given by a representative from Severn Wye Energy Agency indicated that the grid might not be able to cope when it comes heating our homes. Their answer is for us to conserve energy rather than use it - that is to insulate with the right material and switch to low energy alternatives.

For further information about CK Futures activities and future events, please see the Parish Council website.