The Climate Emergency
Overview
The Council unanimously declared, on 21 May 2019, that the borough is in a Climate Emergency.
The Council agreed that:
- Climate Change presents a threat to our way of life
- the Council recognised the need to act in-line with worldwide agreements on Climate Change and the best available evidence, which states that, to limit emissions to 1.5°C, there is a requirement to reach 'net zero' by 2045
- the Council must play its part by evidencing leadership on this issue.
Climate Emergency response plans
The Council has worked with and engaged a range of partners, climate experts, community groups and businesses to understand the challenges and opportunities the Climate Emergency presents for our area. Two plans have been produced setting out these challenges and the actions that will be taken to achieve carbon neutrality in the borough. The first is the Climate Emergency Response Plan which focuses on the borough wide response to the climate crisis. The second is the Carbon Management Plan which focuses on the Council's response.
The Climate Emergency Response Plan
The Climate Emergency response plan sets out the scale of the challenge that we face, as a borough, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The plan is guided by scientific evidence on the current state of emissions in west Cheshire and the engagement and intervention planning undertaken since the Climate Emergency was declared in May 2019. It outlines the action required to achieve carbon neutrality, and how the delivery of these actions will be tracked.
The key highlights of the Climate Emergency Response Plan can be viewed in a digital version of the document.
Alternatively, download the full Climate Emergency Response Plan:
Land Action Plan
In response to the climate and nature emergencies facing communities worldwide, including here in west Cheshire, a Land Action Plan: for the Climate and Nature Emergencies has been produced for the borough.
The plan focuses on land use, adaption and climate repair, a key theme of the borough’s Climate Emergency Response Plan.
Setting out a vision for land in west Cheshire, the plan includes 68 actions that will help to restore and protect nature, which will both help tackle the climate crisis and provide many benefits for our communities.
Carbon Management Plan
The Carbon Management Plan focuses on the Council as an organisation and sets out the actions the Council needs to take to be carbon neutral by 2030. The plan provides an overview of the Council's current position in relation to carbon emissions and outlines the targets to reduce emissions throughout Council services over the next ten years.
The Council's response - The taskforce
The Council has established a cross-party taskforce to understand and plan for the implications, risks and new opportunities for the borough presented by climate change.
The objective of the taskforce will be to shape how the borough responds to the threats and opportunities presented by the Climate Emergency, and develop practical recommendations for the Council to take forward.
The Council's former Chief Executive, Andrew Lewis, presented a report detailing Cheshire West and Chester's response to the Climate Emergency declaration to Council on the 21 January 2020. The report, which was approved by Council, sets out evidence on the Borough's current carbon footprint, and its potential trajectory over the period 2020-2050. It describes a range of actions to reach carbon neutrality within this period; including actions under the direct control of the Council, as well as those the Council could advocate for the Borough as a whole, and at national and international level. As part of the report the Council has declared a target to be carbon neutral as an organisation by 2030.
The next Climate Emergency Taskforce meeting is due to take place on Monday, 12 May 2025, 6 - 8pm at the HQ Building, Chester. This meeting will focus on devolution and skills, and there will be an update on the Climate emergency response plan consultation.
If you would like to attend the session, please complete the online form:
There are also a limited number of spaces for members of the public to speak for a short time on a subject related to the meeting's main topic. If you would like to speak at the next meeting, please complete the form and tick the attending and speaking box.
You can also view the minutes from the Climate Emergency Taskforce meetings in our documents and resources section.
There are no meetings currently scheduled. Details of future meetings will be published here and included in our monthly Climate Emergency enewsletter.
For more information on the Council's response to the Climate Emergency, contact Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of the Council.
- Address: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 1st Floor, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BE
- Email: louise.gittins@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
- Profile: Cllr Louise Gittins
For commercial enquiries linked to decarbonisation:
Fuel Poverty Strategy
Within our borough, it is estimated that over 18,000 households are currently experiencing fuel poverty. This is expected to increase given the cost-of-living crisis and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with the war in Ukraine.
The Office for National Statistics reports that these growing energy prices will disproportionality impact those with lower incomes, as they spend a higher proportion of their earnings on utility bills.
The Council wants to reduce the levels of fuel poverty in the borough to ensure that our residents can thrive, have happier and healthier lives, and achieve their potential. Fuel poverty is also very closely linked to our ambitions for addressing the climate emergency and building a thriving local economy.
