PUBLICLY-owned buildings in Oxford could be net-zero carbon by 2030, the city council had heard.

The council pledged to follow a rigorous standard for what net zero means, as laid out by a national code, when it met on Monday night (January 25).

Green city councillor Dick Wolff proposed the council should follow the definition of what net zero means, as laid out by the UK Green Building Council.

The definition laid out by this organisation means that if any new building would have to offset its emissions from construction and materials; while existing buildings would have to be powered by renewables, and any extra emissions would have to be offset.

Mr Wolff said: "Definitions do matter. It would be helpful if we could say what we mean and mean what we say."

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Mr Wolff also proposed that the council draw up plans for how it could make all its buildings carbon neutral on this basis by 2030.

Alongside this, all new buildings, like council houses the city builds would have to be net zero, and the council could make sure private housebuilders also comply with the same standards.

There was broad agreement on the plans from all parties in the council.

The authority already constructs new buildings to a higher standard than national government requires.

This is not quite net zero by the same definition, as while built-in electrics at newly planned council homes would comply with the limit of net zero carbon emissions, any plug-in appliances like toasters would take them beyond this.

It also has more stringent rules for other housebuilders than national law sets out in its Local Plan.