We declared a climate emergency in January 2020 and pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Our high-level actions were set out in the Carbon Neutral Strategy 2022 – 2030, published the following year.
Our next step was to produce a detailed Climate Action and Biodiversity Work Plan to sit beside the strategy.
Now formally adopted by the us, the work plan sets out how we are looking to lead by example and decarbonise our own operations by 2030.
The key actions are spread across several broad themes and cover all service areas:
- efficient buildings – review how much space we need to operate effectively as a council and how we can improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions
- waste – reducing the amount of waste produced by the council and supporting tenants to become more aware of climate issues
- biodiversity – protect and enhance biodiversity and habitats within Arun
- supply chain - encourage, support and educate suppliers to share our carbon-neutral goals and re-write the procurement strategy to favour contractors who are climate-aware
- staff – train staff on the importance of sustainability and encourage them to become more environmentally friendly
- transport - provide essential infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles, active travel and public transport
- planning - challenge planning requirements to encourage more sustainable homes and developments
The themes were chosen after a study commissioned by the council revealed the biggest sources of carbon emissions within the organisation.
Councillor Shaun Gunner, Leader of Arun District Council, said:
“As a council, we can’t ask our residents to look at their own carbon footprint if we aren’t taking measures to reduce ours.
“This plan explains how serious we are about reducing our carbon emissions across all council departments. For example, roughly half of our current contractors are local so we will continue to consider ways to increase this number and provide contractors with additional help in their journey to reduce their emissions.
“We are dedicated to our pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030, and we will be updating the public on our journey via our social media so please follow us to find out more.”
To view the Climate Action and Biodiversity Work Plan, visit Climate change | Arun District Council
To view the Carbon Neutral Strategy 2022-2030, visit Climate change | Arun District Council
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