Check out our council’s updated climate & nature strategy

Lewes District Council have approved an updated strategy to meet its commitment to generate ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2030 and help tackle the nature crisis. As this may inform Lewes Climate Hub’s forthcoming activities, we’d love you to read it and tell us what you think.

Nearly five years on from declaring a climate emergency, the Climate and Nature Strategy 2024 builds upon action since 2019 and sets out updated priority actions that are needed to deliver net zero at the council and in the wider Lewes District. It also includes actions to tackle the decline in nature caused by human activities.

The strategy addresses seven areas: energy & buildings; travel; biodiversity; food; waste & litter; water, rivers & seas; and community wealth & wellbeing.

Councillor Emily O’Brien, Cabinet Member for Climate, Nature and Food Systems, has said: “There has been some amazing work across the district over the last five years to tackle the climate emergency and this strategy recognises those accomplishments while acknowledging there is still much to do.”

Actions in the district so far include the introduction of an electric vehicle fleet for food waste collection, biodiversity improvements through the new 6.8 hectare Cockshut wetland project on the outskirts of Lewes, 249 new residential solar installations through the Solar Together scheme, natural flood prevention measures and 64 new electric vehicle charge points in public car parks.

Latest data shows there has been a 16.8% reduction in carbon emissions on the total baseline figure from 2018/19 and the carbon footprint was reduced by 15% between 2018 and 2020.

Local organisations and groups as well as town and parish councils were engaged in setting revised goals for the new strategy.

What do you think?

Lewes Climate Hub will look to review the whole strategy and see how it can inform our activities over the next year. In the meantime, we’d love to get your thoughts on its priorities and planned actions and how it should shape action in and around Lewes. Email your thoughts to info@lewesclimatehub.org

Download and read the updated strategy and accompany action plan here.