Nottingham City Council has met its climate change targets four years ahead of schedule following a number of energy saving initiatives and significant investments in renewables across the city.

According to recent government statistics, the city has achieved a 33% reduction in carbon emissions since 2005, beating a 26% target set by the local authority for 2020. The local authority says this makes it the best performing of the core cities outside of London, as it now produces three tonnes less of CO2 per year when compared to 2005.

Councillor Alan Clark, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for energy and sustainability, said: “It’s a great achievement to have met this important target four years early. Nottingham is at the forefront of sustainability awareness and these latest figures maintain the city’s position as the UK’s most energy self-sufficient city.

“There has been a real move towards sustainability in the city with a wide range of organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors carrying out vital work to reduce our environmental impact. Beating our target is a fantastic recognition of the efforts across the city to achieve this aim.”

Speaking to Solar Power Portal earlier today, he added: “I think it's the all-round effort of the city as a whole so private sector, universities and so on have all done their bit in reducing our carbon footprint.”

Solar has formed a large proportion of the initiatives taken across the city, including the completion of the UK’s largest solar carport in August 2015, and the installation of solar panels on over 4,000 council house roof tops.

"We think we've got the highest proportion of solar panels per household in the country so that's clearly making a difference and it's taking people out of fuel poverty,” Clark added.