A climate change expert has been appointed to lead the ambitious vision to achieve net zero.
David Trousdale is set to join the authority to lead their net zero team after years of experience working on climate change projects.
Newcastle had declared a climate emergency in 2019 with leaders committing to make the city cleaner, greener and safer for future generations.
Since then, the council has launched a number of initiatives to become carbon neutral, including huge investments in infrastructure.
Recent initiatives have included the decarbonisation of 30 key buildings and improving the energy efficiency of 346 homes. The council has also overseen the planting of 8,500 trees and 657 metres of hedgerow and initiatives such as pop-up waste collections have led to 26 tonnes of rubbish being recycled.
Earlier this year they revealed the work has seen a 42 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions since 2005 with the authority reducing their own emissions across their estate by 65 percent in just ten years.
David’s appointment is expected to continue that positive work, with him bringing five years’ experience of working on transport and community net zero projects, and a further 7 years working with other local authorities on transport innovation projects.
David, a chartered member of the Chartered Institution of Transport and Logistics (CILT), said: “I am passionate about tackling climate change and I am looking forward to working with the team in Newcastle.
“The city is already making great progress towards their net zero goals and my aim is to develop this further to support residents and business reduce their impact on the climate.”
Matt Wilton, Deputy Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council said: “We are delighted to welcome David to the team.
“He brings a wealth of experience on innovative net zero initiatives and his expertise will be invaluable in supporting us to reach our goals and create a cleaner, greener, healthier city.”
David joins from WSP (formerly Wood plc), an engineering consultants based in Newcastle, where he set up and led the transport decarbonisation team.
He has in-depth technical knowledge of a range of net zero initiatives from Electric Vehicle’s (EV), and EV infrastructure, to solar panels, and battery solutions.