Controversial plans to spend £82.5m to make nearly 200 buildings, such as libraries and fire stations, energy efficient have been defended.
And county councillors, justifying the "expensive" bill to retrofit its buildings, said all Norfolk homeowners and businesses should follow their lead to reduce carbon emissions.
The Conservative-controlled cabinet at Norfolk County Council agreed to start a project involving almost 200 council buildings, including libraries, fire stations and museums.
The retrofitting project will see those buildings fitted with heat pumps, to replace gas and oil boilers, while solar panels and better insulation will also be installed.
But the scheme, which the county council said it necessary to hit its target to reach 'net zero' status on its estate by the end of the decade had come in for criticism.
Campaign group the Taxpayers' Alliance said Norfolk people should not have to shoulder the bill for net zero, while opposition councillors questioned the financial approach to the project, which will see the council have to borrow millions of pounds.
However, at Monday's (June 5) cabinet meeting, Conservative councillors said the work was essential.
Jane James, cabinet member for corporate services and innovation, said she appreciated the £82.5m headline figure was "large", but that it would be "irresponsible" not to highlight the size of the task to retrofit the buildings.
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Bill Borrett, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "This is a huge task and, as the papers make clear, it is a very expensive one.
"People talk glibly about carbon neutral, well, we are taking it extremely seriously.
"It is something the council needs to consider, but I would make the same challenge to all our residents and businesses across Norfolk.
"They all need to be thinking about how they are going to deliver similar responses and solutions to their own buildings."
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