A PUBLIC body responsible for some of the biggest infrastructure projects in West Yorkshire will carry out an audit of at least 180 of its schemes to gauge their environmental impact.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority says the carbon audit of infrastructure and transport scheme is a response to declaring a climate emergency last year.

The organisation has provided funding for numerous local schemes such as the Greengates crossroad improvements and changes to the Shipley to Bradford corridor.

The carbon audit of infrastructure and transport schemes funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and will look at more than 180 programmes that are being funded through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal and the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund to assess both current and future projected carbon emissions.

Videos show multi-million pound plan for Manningham Lane and Canal Road

All proposed new schemes now include details of how they will impact the environment and carbon emissions.

The audit will go back to look at previously approved schemes.

The Combined Authority and the LEP declared a City Region wide climate emergency in June and are working with their partners towards being a net zero carbon economy by 2038 at the latest.

In order to reach that target, carbon emissions in the City Region must be reduced by 14.5 per cent year-on-year and halved every five years.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leader of Bradford Council, said: “The climate emergency is one of the biggest challenges we face and will require fundamental changes in how we all live our lives – from the way we travel to how we heat our homes.

“It’s vital that we have a clear picture of the impact our investment schemes will have on the environment now and in the future, and how we factor those projected carbon emissions into our long-term plan to make the Leeds City Region a net zero carbon economy.

“Our response to the climate emergency must be brave and we must be willing to make tough decisions.

“But everything we do needs to be based on scientific evidence which this audit, and combined with other decarbonisation work we’re undertaking, will provide.”

Roger Marsh, Chair of the LEP, said: “The scale of the challenge facing us is enormous and we must ensure that we’re targeting our investment in the right areas so that everyone can benefit from a net zero carbon economy.

“This is a huge opportunity for us to reset our economy and to build the kind of world our children and grandchildren can thrive in. In tackling the climate emergency, we can also embrace new technologies such as hydrogen power, improve the energy efficiency of our homes and other buildings, and upskill our people so they can excel in the careers of the future.”

As well as the carbon audit, the Combined Authority is also developing a more rigorous way of assessing carbon impacts for developing and approving future schemes. Once developed, all new projects will have to use this strengthen assessment.

The Combined Authority will also receive technical advice and training support for its staff which will ensure that reducing carbon emissions are at the heart of all projects from the early stages, through to the design and development.

The results of the carbon audit will be available in Autumn.