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In 2019, we declared a climate emergency and committed to cut our carbon emissions by at least 45 per cent by 2030 and to net zero as quickly as possible.  

We are now halfway to the 2030 deadline and are already seeing some of the impacts of a changing climate. We recognise that we need to adapt and become more resilient as well as reducing our carbon emissions, protecting the environment, and improving air quality to ensure º¬Ðß²ÝÉçÇø is a fair, pleasant, and safe place to live and work long into the future.  

We resolve to: 

We will reduce emissions by removing gas as a source of heat in our leisure, corporate and community facilities, improving the energy efficiency of our buildings and reducing waste, removing diesel fuel from our waste collection and fleet vehicles, and investing in local generation of renewable power.    

We will halt biodiversity loss by ensuring that all new developments increase biodiversity, implementing our tree strategy and continuing to invest in our parks and green spaces to allow species to thrive and ensure everyone has access to them.  

Air quality is closely linked to burning fossil fuels for transport, and we will improve this by encouraging active and sustainable travel and reducing congestion.  

Significant funding will be needed to achieve these ambitious targets, and we call on central government to make long term sustainable funding available.  

We will refresh our Climate Emergency Action Plan to provide more detail on how this will be delivered, along with plans to identify how each service in the council will respond.  

As the biggest landlord in the borough, we are responsible for improving the energy efficiency of our social homes and business properties.  

We will use our powers and influence to purchase goods, and commission works and services that will minimise our environmental impact and support local businesses in their transition to a low carbon economy, including:  

• working with community groups and businesses across the borough to ensure homes, workplaces and schools are comfortable, healthy and efficient 
• accelerating the expansion of low carbon district heat networks that will provide clean heat to homes and businesses across º¬Ðß²ÝÉçÇø 
• making our neighbourhoods resilient, with good access to green spaces 
• reducing waste 
• increasing the use of public and sustainable travel 

We cannot do this in isolation and we will engage with local people and businesses to hear concerns and build a coalition for change. We call on national governments to clarify how national targets for net zero will be delivered, and to work in partnership with local authorities and provide the funding needed for change. 

Other critical relationships include West Sussex County Council which is responsible for schools and roads, and UK Power Networks which distributes the electricity that will be needed to heat our homes and power businesses in future.  

We will work closely with other key groups to provide leadership, learn, and collaborate for change. We support the vision for Sussex Energy and resolve to join the UK100 group of local authorities advocating a local-led rapid transition to Net Zero and Clean Air.