Oxford leisure centres helped to cut carbon

Public leisure centres in Oxford are getting £10.9 million investment to cut carbon, as part of the city council’s plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Leisure centres contribute around 40 per cent of Oxford City Council’s carbon footprint, with swimming pools among the most energy intensive as they must be kept at a constant temperature. The upgrade work will see gas boilers replaced with heat pumps that transfer heat from the air or water, which will cut carbon emissions from the council’s operations as a whole by around 21 per cent.

The work is part of the council’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis and become a Zero Carbon Council - aiming for an average yearly cut in its carbon emissions of 10 per cent every year until 2030.

The council investment in decarbonising leisure centres also supports its wider goal of achieving a Zero Carbon Oxford by 2040, bringing the benefit of climate action to communities that may be financially excluded from many other carbon reduction initiatives.

Mary Clarkson, cabinet member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said: “The decarbonisation programme will secure the low-carbon future of our public leisure centres. We are committed to providing high-quality leisure facilities to provide exercise and wellbeing opportunities for residents. Our centres are in the heart of the communities where they are needed and offer affordable membership and discounts.”