Winchester is cleaning up its act too slowly to meet carbon footprint targets, a new study has warned.

The report by Winchester Action on Climate Change (Winacc) said car use and air travel has fallen, but electricity demand is up.

The district was named and shamed as Britain’s biggest polluter per person in 2007. In response civic leaders agreed two carbon footprint targets with a 20 per cent cut by 2012 and 33 per cent by 2015. The targets need at least a four per cent cut each year, but the average so far is 1.35 per cent, the Winacc study revealed.

The report said: “Even though the above annual rates are mostly decreasing they are set to miss both of the Winchester district’s targets.”

Annual cuts of 6.25 per cent are now needed to get back on track, Winacc said, and it has suggested several ideas. One is to reduce the amount of air travel by Winchester residents and for people to travel by rail where possible, instead of the car. It is also calling for large businesses and public buildings to reduce their energy needs.

Gas demand fell 5.4 per cent from 2007 to 2009, but in the same period electricity use rose 1.4 per cent.

The Winacc report was produced for the Winchester District Strategic Partnership, which has the city council amongst its members.

Council leader Cllr Kelsie Learney said: “We have put more money into the budget to promote energy efficiency and we’re working on an insulation scheme with Hampshire County Council.”

This would see thousands of households offered cheap insulation. It is also planning to install solar panels on around 1,500 council houses.

Cllr Learney added that several firms such as Denplan and Architecture PLB and the city’s university were working to become greener.

“What will be the determining factor is the behaviour of individuals, and the rise in energy prices might have some affect on that,” she said.