Welcome the charter plea to city organisations

The council and other leading organisations were the first to sign the charter recently.

They included Swansea University, Swansea Bay University Health Board, the DVLA, Gower College Swansea and the National Waterfront Museum.

Signatories pledge to give staff and visitors opportunities to travel to their sites in a sustainable way.

The council, for instance, already has around 60 electric vehicles in its fleet. A further 200-300 will be introduced in the next few years.

Other projects being rolled out by the council to help the city decrease carbon emissions include EV charging points, more tree planting and low-energy new council homes.

Council cabinet member Andrew Stevens said: "We're delighted that key organisations have signed the Swansea Bay Healthy Travel Charter.

"I encourage other bodies around the city to learn more about it and to welcome the fact that major employers such as the council have signed up."

Joint deputy leader Andrea Lewis said: "This charter will help support our ambition to be a zero carbon council by 2030 and to have a zero carbon city by 2050.

"We're committed to working with local and regional partners to deliver the actions outlined in the charter. Excellent work is already underway, encouraging local people to consider more active and sustainable transport options, such as walking, cycling, using low-emission vehicles and using public transport."

Philip McDonnell, coordinator for Swansea Environmental Forum and the Low Carbon Swansea Bay Network, said: "Through 17 ambitious actions, the charter promotes walking, cycling, public transport and ultra-low emission vehicle use.

"The actions include establishing a network of sustainable travel champions within each organisation, developing campaigns for staff, promoting the cycle to work scheme and promoting public transport discounts.

"By working together, the organisations aim to increase the proportion of journeys made to and from workplaces which are sustainable."

The launch of the charter comes as the evidence of the urgency needed to tackle climate change becomes stark.

Swansea Bay Healthy Travel Charter www.healthytravel.wales/swanseabay

Photo Swansea Council joint deputy leader and cabinet member Andrea Lewis with Philip McDonnell, coordinator for Swansea Environmental Forum and the Low Carbon Swansea Bay Network, with one of the council's low-emission vehicles.