Norfolk County Council is one of the top-performing local authorities in the UK, according to Climate Emergency UK’s latest Climate Action Scorecards.
Of all county councils in the UK, Norfolk County Council came third, trailing just Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire County Council having improved by three percentage points since 2023. It has cut its emissions by 61% since 2016-17, with key achievements including all council-owned and leased buildings being powered by a 100% green electricity tariff, and LED street lighting saving over 1 million kWh of energy and cutting emissions by 200 tonnes each year.
Further highlights include rooftop solar installations generating around 2% of the council’s building electricity needs, 600,000 trees having been planted on a path to 1 million, and the introduction of electric buses to Norwich which have proven able to cut emissions, reduce noise pollution and improve air quality throughout the city centre.
Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, James Bensly, said while rewarding and residents have been able to see the different in their communities, it is “equally important that we continue this work”.
Bensly continued: “That includes preparing for the impact the changes in climate will have on Norfolk. We need to ensure that we push for better protection from flooding and coastal erosion; while continuing to support our firefighters with the tools they need to deal with extreme weather events.”
