Published: Monday, 26 July 2021

Devastating floods near our sister city, Bonn. Freakish heatwaves in the Pacific Northwest causing roads to buckle, power cables to melt and hospitals to be overwhelmed. Hundreds die.

A billion marine animals killed, with mussels and clams cooking in their own shells. Smoke from wildfires thousands of miles away putting lives in danger in New York as air quality plummets.

All this is happening now. But what can we do about it in Oxford?

We’re starting to think about our next Local Plan. This will shape what Oxford looks like in 2040, when we want to be a net zero carbon city.

The Local Plan 2040 will help us achieve this ambition by setting out a framework for how and where we deliver new homes, jobs and community facilities. And we want your views on what our priorities for doing this should be.

The built environment is the primary contributor to CO2 emissions. More than four fifths of Oxford’s carbon emissions come from buildings, with nearly a third (29%) from homes alone.

We already have a target for new housing development in our city to be zero carbon by 2030, but that’s not enough by itself.

How else could our Local Plan help?

We can ensure that existing buildings are retrofitted to reduce their carbon footprint if they come up for planning permission.

We can encourage active and sustainable travel by making it easier to switch to electric vehicles, by enabling more cycling and walking, and by improving public transport.

And we can ensure that our green spaces, rivers and waterways are protected and enhanced during new developments.

Now, we want to know what you think. We’ve launched a first round of public consultation, which focuses on what should be included in the Local Plan 2040.

Please, help us shape a zero carbon future for Oxford and have your say.

Rate this page