Stroud District Council has been named as one of the best councils in the country for addressing climate change.
The Council achieved a joint 10th place out of more than 400 local authorities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is rated the fourth-best district council in the country, and is the top performer in Gloucestershire.
Climate Emergency UK scored SDC at 77% across a range of measures designed to test the effectiveness of councils’ climate action plans.
As part of SDC’s Council Plan, environment and climate change is one of the council’s three top priorities, having declared a climate emergency in 2018. Stroud District Council was the first council in Europe to be carbon neutral and the 2030 Strategy aims to lead the district to carbon neutrality in eight years’ time.
Recently the Council has embarked on a project to plant a new woodland with Stroud Valleys Project, replaced gas boilers with water source heat pumps at its Ebley Mill offices and Brimscombe Port Mill, and has established a fleet of electric vehicles.
SDC is retrofitting council homes and exploring how to do the same with public buildings after successful bids for Government funds for both, as well as many other environmental policies and initiatives.
Stroud District Council Leader, Doina Cornell, said: “We are not resting on our laurels – this is a great achievement but there is so much more to do if we are to address climate change for ourselves and future generations.
“It is rewarding however to see our deep commitment to climate action recognised and this is down to the hard work of our officers, the commitment of councillors and the strong working relationships we have with partners, communities and businesses.”
To see the Climate Emergency UK scorecards, visit https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/
Climate Emergency UK assessed plans according to 28 questions across nine sections between June and December 2021.
Find out more about the 2030 Strategy and how to get involved: www.stroud.gov.uk/environment/building-a-sustainable-future-together
