Brent Council surpassed its target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent over a decade – a year before the deadline.

Its latest report into CO2 emissions showed levels have dropped from 15,649 tonnes in 2010/11 to 5,679 tonnes in 2019/20.

While it did not consider all greenhouse gases, the report pointed out the council made a commitment to significantly reduce CO2 levels in 2018, while this approach also complied with the Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme.

The bulk of emissions (3,220 tonnes) still come from council buildings, though it noted there has been a move to using fewer, and more efficient, sites to try to reduce this figure.

An upgrade to the borough’s street lighting system to incorporate more LED bulbs, which was completed in 2019, has also been a key driver in tackling CO2 output.

At the start of this initiative, streetlights produced 6,447 tonnes of CO2 – in the last municipal year, they accounted for just 1,808 tonnes.

Cllr Krupa Sheth, who is responsible for the environment at Brent Council, said: “Last year, we declared a climate and ecological emergency.

“(This report) confirms our dedication and I’m delighted we’ve been able to exceed the target we set ourselves two years ago.

“But we also know there is more work to do. We are committed to reducing our energy usage as much as possible and it is our ambition to buy what we do need through a truly green energy provider.”

The council still harbours ambitions of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.