Highland Council agrees annual report for Public Bodies Climate Change Duties

6th November 2025

Highland Council's Climate Change Committee has agreed the Council’s 2024/25 Annual Report under Public Bodies Climate Change Duties, reaffirming its commitment to achieving Net Zero while recognising the complex balance between service delivery, community needs, and long-term decarbonisation.

The report shows that total operational emissions for 2024/25 were 34,893 tonnes of CO₂e — a 5% rise compared to the previous year.

This follows a substantial 9.5% reduction in 2023/24, meaning overall emissions remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

The increase reflects the practical demands of delivering essential services across one of the UK’s largest and most rural council areas. Additional fleet activity linked to food waste collections, roads maintenance, and the Corran Ferry’s return to full operation after service disruption contributed to short-term rises in fuel use.

Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Councillor Kate Willis, said: "The Highland Council is a service-driven organisation. Our operations, from road maintenance to ferry transport, are essential to supporting communities spread across a vast rural region. While these activities naturally influence annual emissions, they also highlight why long-term strategic planning is so critical to achieving Net Zero.

“The introduction of carbon budgeting and analysis tools this year marks a step change in how we plan for decarbonisation. These tools allow us to understand the full impact of investment decisions, ensuring that projects like the transition to an electric replacement for the Corran Ferry are recognised not just as operational upgrades to improve services, but as strategic shifts that will deliver sustained emissions reductions over time."

Despite the short-term increase, the Council continues to make strong progress in other key areas:

Waste-related emissions have reduced by over 85% since 2018/19, reflecting continued moves away from landfill and improved recycling performance.
Continued rollout of solar PV systems, building efficiency upgrades, and EV charging infrastructure across the Council estate.
The Council’s Net Zero target remains set for 2045, with an ambition to reach this earlier. To meet the 2030 milestone of a 75% reduction, the Council must deliver average annual cuts of around 13.8% — equivalent to 3,600 tonnes of CO₂e per year.

By embedding carbon budgeting within service planning and investment decisions, the Council aims to ensure that long-term, high-impact projects are prioritised — even where annual reporting does not immediately reflect their future benefits.

Cllr Willis continued: “We’re shifting our focus from year-to-year fluctuations to the bigger picture. The transition to Net Zero is not a straight line — it’s about making the right decisions now across all Council operations that will deliver meaningful, lasting change for future generations.”