Durham County Council has secured a prestigious national climate change award while retaining its green accreditation for the third year running.
The local authority triumphed in the Best Carbon Reduction category at this year’s Investors in the Environment Awards in recognition of the significant steps it has taken to tackle climate change.
Judges were impressed by the breadth of activity underway at the council, which has led to a 64% (50,000 tonne) reduction in carbon emissions since 2008/2009.
They also praised the local authority’s third Climate Emergency Response Plan, which sets out more than 230 actions that will have a direct impact on council and countywide emissions.
The council’s willingness to share knowledge and support others to cut emission was also highlighted.
Success at the awards was further boosted by the retention of the highest green accreditation available from the Investors in the Environment programme.
The council has chosen to have its environmental and sustainability performance independently audited by the Environment programme since 2020, and first achieved the highest level of accreditation in 2022.
Cllr Mark Wilkes, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said: “We are delighted to have received this award and retained our green accreditation for the third year in a row from Investors in the Environment.
“The name really does say it all. By taking firm action to reduce our carbon emissions and protect the environment, we are investing in County Durham’s future.
“We are helping to create a better world for future generations that is less reliant on fossil fuels, has cleaner air and thriving natural habitats.
“Also, by reducing the use of resources such as gas, electricity and water, we are saving money at a time when local authorities are under significant financial pressure.
“We look forward to continuing our journey of becoming an even more sustainable and environmentally friendly council and are grateful to the Investors in the Environment programme for the support provided.”
Adopted in the summer, the third Climate Emergency Response Plan covers the period from 2024 to 2027 and aims to help the local authority and its partners achieve the targets of being a net zero council by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions for County Durham by 2045.
As well as moving away from using gas for heat, the plan includes actions relating to resilience, biodiversity, waste and procurement.
Jo Holmes, managing director of Genee Consulting, the North East hub for Investors in the Environment, said: “We love working with Durham County Council through the Investors in the Environment programme – they are an excellent example of leadership from a local authority around this agenda.
“The breadth of projects the council is involved in is to be commended and evidence that the team recognise that projects of all scales have value in addressing climate change.
“We’re so pleased Durham County Council has been recognised for its hard work with the Best Carbon Reduction Award at this year’s Investors in the Environment awards. It is a huge achievement and testament to their continued commitment to the environment.”
• Pictured above (from left): Steve Bhowmick, environment and design manager, Durham County Council; Jo Holmes, manging director, Genee Consulting Ltd; and Stephen Beresford, principal officer climate strategy and policy, Durham County Council.
