Efforts to decarbonise the council’s estate and fleet amid its response to the climate emergency are ‘not on track’, says a report.

At its Town Hall meeting on Monday, the cabinet will be updated on progress with the council’s climate emergency response.

A report to cabinet says that while progress continues to be made on many fronts across the plan, the council is facing significant challenges in others – which ‘threaten to frustrate the council’s operational decarbonisation ambitions’.

It adds: “Work to ensure an engaged workforce and supportive culture for climate action remains crucial. Here we have seen good progress with advances in training and support.

“Efforts to decarbonise our estate and fleet are not on track. Despite progress identifying the measures needed to improve our buildings, there is limited capital finance to progress them.

“Grant offers have already had to be turned down due to a lack of capital to provide the required match funding. Uncertainty on the future location of depot sites has been a break on investment in fleet decarbonisation which will also require significant expenditure.

“Many of our planned efforts to support change more widely are progressing. Work to advance sustainable travel initiatives are going well.

“Here the replacement of Warrington’s Own Buses diesel fleet with brand new electric buses is a significant step. Important preparatory work has also been progressed as a foundation for action in the wider built environment with several new initiatives in place to support change.

“Some, however, have only time-limited funding secured. Considerable further investment will need to be made from across sectors including from local businesses and households to support the changes we need to see.”

The cabinet is recommended to note the update on the climate emergency response, and to provide any feedback on the progress to officers.