Climate change and the council

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges the world faces today. We declared a climate emergency in September 2019 and committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions no later than 2050.

Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy

We have adopted a Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy and the associated

that will:

• Enable us to reduce and offset its own operational emissions leading up to net-zero emissions by 2050
• Further the implementation of sustainability and circular economy
• Enable us to influence the land use and operational impact of residents, businesses and organisations to reduce and offset their own emissions
• Help build resilience against impacts of climate change
• Promote zero carbon and sustainable development
• Improve well-being and quality of life of the residents of Hertsmere.

Since its adoption in 2020, we have updated a number of our policies, implemented measures and brought forward schemes outlined in the Action Plan. These have been included in the

).

Planning Position Statement

We have adopted an

to encourage and help steer the borough towards sustainable, net zero carbon development by clarifying how existing policies will be interpreted.

Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership

We are an active partner of Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership [link: www.hccsp.org.uk], a strategic group which acts as the lead partnership organisation for local authorities and the LEP to collaborate and identify joint work programmes on environmental, climate change and wider sustainability issues. Working in partnership with other district and borough councils, the county council and the Local Enterprise Partnership, HCCSP works to coordinate action across the county across 6 themes: Adaptation, Behaviour Change, Biodiversity, Carbon Reduction, Transport and Water.

Coordinated actions include supporting and progressing aligned activity across procurement, planning, communications, licensing, parks and contract management departments. Specific successes include county-wide coordination on Clean Air campaigns, Energy Saving App for residents, Solar Bulk procurement for residents, coordinated communications calendar, working to align a low emission taxi licensing policy, coordinated training on adaptation, climate change and idling action, working to align EV infrastructure role out, coordinated funding applications and stakeholder engagement with community and third sector groups through events and communications.