A DISTRICT council has pledged to achieve net zero faster than national targets by joining UK100.

At a South Somerset District Council (SSDC) full council meeting in October, Cllr Sarah Dyke proposed a motion to join UK100 - a coalition of leaders in the UK who are committed to achieving Net Zero.

The motion was supported by members at the meeting.

SSDC is among 112 local authorities who have already taken the UK100 pledge.

As well as this, SSDC has joined the Countryside Climate Network (CCN), which is the rural arm of the UK100 network and currently consists of 28 member councils.

Leader of SSDC Councillor Val Keitch said: “There is no doubt that the aim is high and the task is hard, but it is achievable with the right co-ordination and partnership working, both locally and nationally.

"With the UN Climate Summit COP26 this month, joining the UK100 is a fantastic opportunity for SSDC to advocate for national changes that will enable all local authorities to reach Net Zero as soon as possible.

"It will also help remove the barriers that local authorities are currently facing when trying to implement ambitious climate action.”

As members of UK100, the CCN are committed to delivering climate action in their communities and amplifying the rural voice.

In South Somerset, two-thirds of residents live outside the largest urban areas, and climate change is bringing challenges to the towns and villages.

This is why SSDC believes they need to amplify the 'rural voice' and be at the 'forefront' of climate action.

Portfolio holder for environment, Cllr Sarah Dyke, added: “Being part of the UK100 will accelerate the transition to a Net Zero Carbon society and bring together local authorities from across the country through sharing experiences, knowledge and support.

"Since declaring a climate and ecological emergency in May 2019, we are already implementing numerous projects to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 or sooner.

"As members of UK100, we will have a greater presence and louder voice to do even more to support our communities here in South Somerset.”

In 2019, SSDC declared a climate and ecological emergency and is working to achieve net zero by 2030 or sooner.