Urgent action is needed to reduce carbon emissions in the Lake District, national park leaders are set to warn.

Ahead of a meeting of the Lake District National Park Authority on Wednesday week, chief executive Richard Leafe is set to tell members that more needs to be done.

It follows a number of recommendations made by a top climate change panel recently. Scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have warned that global temperatures need to be prevented from rising by more than 1.5C this century, in an effort to reduce the warm-up of the planet.

Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps the heat from the sun and warms up the planet and oceans.

It has emerged that talks are due to take place in Kendal next month on the need to “increase the pace” of carbon emission reductions across the park.

Mr Leafe said: “Along with South Lakeland District Council, we are leading an initiative to extend our climate budget, along with associated actions to the county as a whole as a response to the need for urgent action on carbon emission reductions.

“We know the Government is considering its response to the new evidence and this represents an opportunity for the county to demonstrate quick action.”

Mr Leafe said the park is hosting a Lake District National Park Partnership networking event to look at what actions can be done to increase the pace of greenhouse gas reductions in the national park.

A total of 25 organisations are represented on the partnership from the public, private, charitable and voluntary sectors. They include Cumbria Tourism, the National Farmers’ Union, the National Trust and South Lakeland District Council.

The event is at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal on March 28 and will be addressed by Emma Howard Boyd, chairwoman of the Environment Agency.

Other speakers will include Paul Allen, director of the centre for alternative technology and the lead on Zero Carbon Britain.

Mr Leafe said work was on the way at the park authority to convert the LDNPA’s vehicle fleet to zero emission electric vehicles.

It is currently partnering with Renault UK to test an all-electric van and car with early results said to be “promising”.

Recently, Colin Cox, the county’s director of public health, said Cumbria should attempt to become a carbon neutral county by the year 2030, as is being recommended by the UN.