By any reasonable measure, four billion pounds represents a significant ask of anyone in any city in the world, but that is what City of York Council chiefs believe is needed if Yorkshire’s historic county conurbation is going to deliver on its climate commitments.

Some eight months in the making, the plan to decarbonise York’s energy system is both ambitious and, on the face of it – especially during this cost of living crisis – expensive, with some critics quick to ask: can we really afford it?

On the shopping list for this green initiative are things like heat pump installations, a district heating network, the installation of home-by-home improvements such as insulation, glazing, solar panels and draught proofing; there are plans to introduce almost 100,000 fully electric vehicles and additional emmissions controls.

When she said ‘York needs to go big or go home’ the city’s assistant director of policy and strategy Claire Foale was clearly not shying away from the size of the challenge, and from acknowledging just how many seaparate investments and improvements are needed if the north star ambition they have set themselves is to be achieved.

York is determined to lead the way on climate innovation when it comes to decarbonising the city. Via Getty

And if York is going to be successful, all of what is required is required quickly. If York is to stand any chance of hitting its previously stated ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, things need to change, fast. So; can we afford it? Given all of the other pressures on the economy at the moment.

Well, that can no longer be the question we are asking. With more and more people suffering respiratory ailments, increasingly unpredictable weather events leading to threats to life emergencies and with a younger generation switched on to the damage we are doing to the planet they will inherit from us, the real question is: can we afford not to?

Can York afford to spend £4bn on climate friendly initiatives? - The YP Says