How Suffolk County Council will aim to be a carbon neutral authority by 2030 in our pledge to the climate emergency declaration.

 The Climate Emergency Declaration

On 21 March 2019, councillors at Suffolk County Council voted to declare a climate emergency.

 Our pledge

Suffolk County Council will:

1. Declare a climate emergency

2.Set up a Policy Development Panel (PDP)

Starting by September 2019, the PDP will investigate how we can cut Suffolk County Council’s carbon and harmful emissions on a spend to save basis. Our ambition is to make Suffolk County Council (including all buildings, school and services) carbon neutral by 2030.

3.Work with partners across the county and region

This includes working with the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) and the public sector leaders, towards making the county of Suffolk carbon neutral by 2030.

4.Work with Government to:

A) deliver its 25 year Environment Plan and

B) increase the powers and resources available to local authorities in order to make the 2030 target easier to achieve.

Read the agenda and minutes from 21 March 2019.

What does our pledge mean?

Suffolk County Council aims to be a carbon neutral authority by 2030. Through practical action it aims to save money, generate income and reduce carbon emissions.

Why is it important to reduce carbon emissions?

Human activities emit CO₂ into the atmosphere. Along with other ‘greenhouse gases’, too much CO₂ in the atmosphere raises the global temperature.

This rise in temperature will make it very difficult for nature to adapt to and thrive in such conditions.

What has been happening in Suffolk?

There have been many projects running in Suffolk for years, interested in combating climate change. Most notably, since 2007 when Lord Gummer (then John Gummer MP), initiated the Creating the Greenest County initiative for Suffolk.

All projects under this umbrella work with local communities and businesses to help them realise the economic benefits of reducing their energy consumption, adapt to climate change and enhance their natural environment.

Projects for Suffolk residents

Projects for businesses

Next steps

A Policy Development Panel at Suffolk County Council has been set up and first met in September 2019 – this is a cross-party group which is investigating how to further the record of investing to save and reducing harmful carbon emissions with the aspiration of being carbon neutral by 2030.

The current environmental policy and all related policies are currently being reviewed, to investigate ways to cut Suffolk County Council’s carbon and harmful emissions. Revised plans and policies will be presented to SCC Cabinet in the first half of 2020.