Colchester City Council's climate action initiatives, which were implemented between January 2019 and March 2023, have undergone a thorough evaluation by the not-for-profit co-operative, Climate Emergency UK. This assessment builds on the previous evaluation of all local authority climate action plans conducted by Climate Emergency UK in January 2022.
Climate Emergency UK, in collaboration with various organisations and charities, has developed a methodology for scoring climate actions implemented by all UK local authorities. This evaluation process involves rating authorities in seven key sections, each with specific questions tailored to different tiers of Council, resulting in an overall 'climate action scorecard.' The full methodology can be found here.
Colchester City Council received a score of 34% for its climate action, which exceeded the district council average of 29%.
The council was commended for its good performance on improving the energy efficiency of its owned housing stock, establishing shared transport schemes, its work with cultural institutions and schools, banning use of pesticides on Council owned land and work to inform residents of updates of performance on the Climate Emergency Action Plan.
The review has also identified areas that require improvement, including the reinforcement of environmental policies for new developments, the incorporation of climate change risks into the risk register, improved reporting of greenhouse gas emissions as well as fostering community engagement regarding the Council's climate action plan. These recommendations will be considered within the context of limited funding and resources, along with insights from a carbon reduction audit conducted by TIAA in March 2023. The audit reported 'reasonable assurance' of the council's efforts in carbon management.
Full results from all local authorities, including Colchester City Council, can be found here.
Cllr Andrea Luxford Vaughan Portfolio Holder for Planning, Environment and Sustainability, said: “We welcome the review of our climate action from Climate Emergency UK. It is useful for us to be scrutinized to determine how we are performing on this important work. This review does recognise that we are doing well on many parts of the climate and environmental agenda but does identify areas where we could do more. We will review these scorecards and consider how our work on tackling climate change and reducing our environmental impact can be strengthened, working with our partners and community to achieve this.”
Page last reviewed: 18 October 2023