To find out about the history of and methodology behind the Scorecards, please go to About us
In this pilot project we have only marked councils' Climate Action Plans. These Scorecards do not take into account any action that councils may have underway.
In future years we plan to assess councils on the actual steps they are taking towards eliminating their climate emissions. However, this preparatory work is vital, as a strong plan is the first step towards taking robust climate action over a sustained period of time — and without a plan it is impossible for residents to participate in the democratic process of holding their councils to account.
To create the Council Climate Plan Scorecards we have marked UK councils' climate action plans, strategies and, if relevant, drafts of these documents. We have also marked other related plans and strategies if they are either mentioned in the Climate Action Plan or linked to from the same webpage as the Climate Action Plan. Examples of these extra plans include separate Biodiversity Plans and emissions data documents. We have not marked only environmental policies, update reports or Climate Action Plans written by independent organisations unless they have been officially adopted by the council as their own plan. We have marked plans that were written after September 2015 and were publicly available on the council’s website on or before 20 September 2021.
Climate Emergency UK’s Climate Action Plan Checklist, created in partnership with Friends of the Earth, Centre for Alternative Technology, Ashden and APSE Energy, outlines the recommended contents of a strong Climate Action Plan. The scoring system used in compiling the Scorecards was based on this checklist.
During the development of the scoring system, Climate Emergency UK held three consultations in which nearly 200 councillors, council officers, climate action campaigners and organisations were invited to comment on the process. In these sessions we delved into the details of the questions used to score against, explored how to make this process useful and manageable for councils and discussed the presentation of the data.
A survey on how the data should be presented was also sent to approx. 700 councillors and council officers who were not able to attend the events. This asked questions about how the data should be presented, for example:
Based on the feedback received from these sessions, the questions were refined to produce the final checklist. The right of reply was established as part of this process and it was decided that scores would be displayed by council type. Each council will only be compared with others that have similar responsibilities. For example, all district councils are grouped together and can be compared to one another but can not be compared with county councils.
A team of around 120 trained volunteers marked all the Council Climate Action plans in the UK using the scoring system described above.
All councils in the UK were sent the scoring questions along with the first mark of their plan. They could see which questions had received points, but they couldn’t see individual scores for questions or their overall score. All councils, including those without a plan, were given a right of reply. Councils had three weeks to respond and highlight any mistakes in the first mark. Almost 50% of councils with a Climate Action Plan responded to the Right of Reply.
During the scoring audit a team of around 25 highly trained volunteers and CEUK staff reviewed the first mark alongside the council's right of reply. All plans were audited regardless of whether the council responded to the right of reply.
Some of the sections have more questions than others, but, those sections with fewer questions are not significantly less important. To address this, a light-touch weighting system, as in the table below, has been applied to ensure each section's true value is reflected.
| Section | Maximum points available in this section | Percent of final score that this section would naturally account for | Weighted percentage | Switch to weighted from score change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governance, Development and Funding | 21 | 27 | 15% | -12 |
| Mitigation and Adaptation | 18 | 23 | 15% | -8 |
| Commitment and Integration | 7 | 9 | 15% | 6 |
| Community Engagement and Communications | 9 | 12 | 15% | 3 |
| Measuring and Setting Emissions Targets | 5 | 6 | 10% | 4 |
| Co-Benefits | 4 | 5 | 5% | 0 |
| Diversity and Social Inclusion | 5 | 6 | 10% | 4 |
| Education, Skills and Training | 5 | 6 | 10% | 4 |
| Ecological Emergency | 4 | 5 | 5% | 6 |
The feedback we received from councils and campaigners was carefully considered as we made decisions around the presentation of the Council Climate Plan Scorecards.
We recognise that different councils have different powers, as laid out by the Institute for Government. To ensure that comparisons are meaningful, the Scorecard data has been divided into five lists:
This means that only councils holding the same responsibilities can be compared.
There are five ‘leagues’. Filters are ways of subdividing leagues further. Not all filters apply to all leagues (league too small, doesn’t make conceptual sense to divide), the same filter may have different groupings in different leagues (population bandings are different to reflect different population of different kinds of council)
Download the source code that constructs the five ‘leagues’
For two leagues (non-metropolitan districts, and single-tier), there is an index of multiple deprivation filters. This divides councils in each league into five quintiles, based on the multiple-deprivation ranking of a council in the group.
The county council leagues are split into two groupings of 12.
As the single-tier league contains different nations, this is based on mySociety’s composite UK index of multiple deprivation for small areas. This is converted to a score for authority using the method in the English Index of Multiple Deprivation Research Report (pg. 69).
This filter uses data from Open Council Data UK to get the current overall control for councils and allow plans to be compared within the same kind of political control. This is overall control as of Dec 2021, and may not reflect control when the plan was written.
Local governments in the UK cover very different sizes of population. This filter groups councils into broad bands of populations. Different leagues have different bands because there are different distributions of population. This approach tries to create useful groupings of population size, so that councils are in general more similar to each other inside the group.
Councils across the UK are grouped into four different groups: Urban, Urban with rural areas, Rural, as well as Sparse and Rural. These groupings have been made from a combination of rural/urban classifications for small areas across England, Wales and Scotland.
Region/Nation of the UK.
Some leagues (single tier/combined authority) combine multiple types of local government. This filter lets you just look at a single type of local government.
The highest scoring councils of each type and category have been marked ‘Top Performers’ in recognition of the hard work that goes into creating a goodAction Plan. Some councils are putting admirable efforts into their commitments to tackling climate change and it is only right that this should be acknowledged.
The top performing councils in each scoring table have a star next to their name. In addition, this mark of recognition is displayed on the individual councils' pages, which also show if that council is a top performer within any of the categories.
The scoring system consists of: 9 sections, comprising 28 questions which together contain 73 sub-points.
78 marks are available for all councils, with the exception of County Councils and Combined Authorities where 76 marks are available as question 11 does not apply.
There are more marks than there are sub-points because some questions are worth more than 1 point.
Section 1 examines who will lead the plan, the net-zero targets, the council’s commitment to the plan, funding and costing, council limits and monitoring, reviewing and updating the plan.
Section 2 considers how well the plan outlines the implications of climate change on the local area, and whether the plan has set out strategies for decarbonising and adapting within the key areas of:
Section 3 assesses the integration of the climate and ecological emergency into the council's existing policies and procedures, as well as the target dates set out by the plan.
Section 4 questions who has been involved in the plan’s development and how the council intends to keep the community involved in its delivery. It asks about the use of citizens' assemblies, what effort has been made to include under-represented groups, collaborative partnerships, how easy the plan is to find on the website, how well it is structured and whether there is a clear communication strategy.
Section 5 concentrates on the emissions data and targets set out in the plan. Is there a baseline emissions inventory? Are emissions broken down into scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions? Are GHG emissions quantified? Does the plan prioritise emissions reductions over carbon offsetting?
This section asks whether the plan considers the co-benefits of climate action and the public health risks of climate change.
Section 7 centres on whether the plan outlines which parts of the population will be most harmed by climate change, how it intends to focus resources to support vulnerable communities and whether it recognises that councils and residents have differing responsibilities for climate action.
Section 8 focuses on carbon literacy training for all staff and councillors, education for the public, and training/upskilling the workforce.
Section 9 looks at the plan’s commitments to tackling the ecological emergency. Does the plan include actions to address the ecological emergency? Does it focus on nature based solutions? Are the ecological impacts of climate change mitigation actions considered?
A number of counties throughout the UK have adopted a joined-up approach in addressing the climate crisis by producing a countywide plan for multiple levels of local government to follow.
For District Councils signed up to these county plans, we have marked both the District and the County plan. This means that for many questions, if the County Council has scored a mark, the District Council also gets the mark (even if it doesn't apply to their own plan). We have only done this for District Councils that have their own plans as it is not enough for them to simply sign up to a County Plan without doing their own planning.
However, for some questions (see below), the District plan had to have the information to get the mark and the County mark wasn't carried over. As a result, the scores of some districts are considerably higher than they would have been had we marked the District plan alone. We feel this is justified: a joined-up approach is best practice to tackle this universal issue collectively, and should be rewarded.
For all questions not listed, if the County plan received the mark, the District plan also received the mark. For the questions listed below, the evidence had to be included in the District plan to get the mark.
This applies to the following councils:
Notes
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
1.1 | Is the Plan led by a senior lead officer with a named individual, cabinet member or committee responsible for developing and delivering the Plan and are the actions assigned? | Give 0 points if:The Plan is not led by a senior lead officer with a cabinet member or committee responsible for development and delivery and the actions are not assigned. | |
1.1.1 | The Plan is led by a senior lead officer with a cabinet member or committee responsible for development and delivery. | 1 |
|
1.1.2 | The individual actions in the Plan are assigned to an officer or committee to ensure they are completed on time. | 1 |
|
1.1.3 | The Plan identifies the key bodies needed to deliver actions. Must mention top 4 bullets + 1 other from the list to get the point This must include: Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
1.2 | Does the Plan include science backed net-zero targets in which the terms are defined and the scope is considered? | The net-zero targets in the Plan are not science backed, the terms are not defined and the scope is not considered. | |
1.2.1 | The Plan contains yearly or interim targets for carbon reduction in the whole district up until the net-zero target date. | 1 |
|
1.2.1.b | The Plan states a net-zero target for the whole district | 2 |
|
1.2.2 | The council has a target of reaching net-zero for their own emissions by 2030. | 1 | |
1.2.3 | The terms, scope and fairness are defined: 3 bullet points = 1 point • The terms of net-zero are defined clearly | 2 | |
1.3 | Is commitment to the Climate Emergency Action Plan embedded in the council’s Corporate Plan as well as all the council’s decisions and actions? | Give 0 points if:Commitment to the climate emergency Action Plan is not embedded in the council’s Corporate Plan or their decisions and actions. | |
1.3.1 | Links to the Corporate Plan and commitment to the climate emergency Action Plan is embedded in the council’s Corporate Plan. | 1 |
|
1.3.2 | The Plan commits to placing the climate emergency at the centre of all its decisions and actions. This means: | 1 |
|
1.4 | Does the Plan set out a plan for funding and costing? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not identify funding for any actions or cost any actions. | |
1.4.1 | The Plan identifies funding for the actions. Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
1.4.2 | The cost of the actions in the Plan is outlined. | 1 |
|
1.4.3 | The Plan sets out financial return on investment where applicable e.g. renewable energy projects. | 1 |
|
1.4.4 | The Plan identifies ways of raising funds. For example: | 1 |
|
1.4.5 | The Plan outlines how the local authority will allocate funds to ensure budgets are being used most effectively to support carbon neutrality. | 1 |
|
1.5 | Does the Plan explain what the local authority can and cannot do and acknowledge actions that require support from Government? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not explain what the local authority can and cannot do. It does not commit to lobbying higher levels of government or include actions where the UK Government and/or devolved governments can help. | |
1.5.1 | The Plan recognises there is a limit to what the council can and cannot do on its own and includes notes on what it has control over. For example: | 1 | |
1.5.2 | The Plan commits the authority to lobbying higher levels of government when it comes across limitations of legislation and finance that impede it from taking action on the climate crisis. | 1 | |
1.6 | Has the council committed to implementing a monitoring system in order to evaluate, review and update its targets? | Give 0 points if:The council does not have a monitoring system in place and there are no commitments to update the Plan annually. | |
1.6.1 | The council has a monitoring system in place for evaluating and reviewing the Action Plan. | 1 |
|
1.6.2 | The monitoring system is assigned to a department or team to complete and the review process is overseen by a senior lead officer, cabinet member or committee. | 1 | |
1.6.3 | The Plan commits the council to reviewing and updating the Plan at least once annually. | 1 |
|
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
2.7 | Does the Plan outline the implications of climate change for the local area? | Give 0 points if:The council does not have a monitoring system in place and there are no commitments to update the Plan annually. | |
2.7.1 | The Plan outlines the implications of climate change for the local area. Outline at least 3 implications to get the point Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
2.8 | Does the Plan set out or link to a strategy for decarbonising the whole district for the following carbon mitigation areas? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not set out or link to strategies for any of the above. If the council only has a strategy for its own operations the above sub-points and not the whole district then it doesn’t get the point. | |
2.8.1 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for reducing consumption and waste. | 1 |
|
2.8.2 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising planning and land use.* | 1 | Planning in this context is about planning in relation to land use and new buildings/homes. It can include:
|
2.8.3 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising transport. | 1 | |
2.8.4 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising buildings, housing and infrastructure inc. construction. | 1 | |
2.8.5 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising business and industry. | 1 | |
2.8.6 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising energy generation. | 1 | |
2.8.7 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising heating. | 1 | |
2.8.8 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for restoring the natural environment and improving biodiversity. | 1 | |
2.8.9 | The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising food systems and agriculture. | 1 | |
2.9 | Does the plan set out adaptation actions for the whole district that the Council will take in the following areas? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not consider adaptation to climate change in any of the areas listed above. If the council only has a strategy for its own operations the above sub-points and not the whole district then it doesn’t get the point. | |
2.9.1 | The Plan sets out how the council will help residents prepare for changes in climate and extreme weather. | 1 | Planning in this context is about planning in relation to land use and new buildings/homes. It can include:
|
2.9.2 | The Plan sets out adaptation actions for planning and land use | 1 | |
2.9.3 | The Plan sets out adaptation actions for transport | 1 | |
2.9.4 | The Plan sets out adaptation actions for buildings, housing and infrastructure | 1 | |
2.9.5 | The Plan sets out adaptation actions for business and industry | 1 | |
2.9.6 | The Plan sets out adaptation actions for energy generation | 1 | |
2.9.7 | The Plan sets out adaptation actions for the natural environment and biodiversity | 1 | |
2.9.8 | The Plan sets out adaptation actions for agriculture and food production | 1 |
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
3.10 | Does the Plan set out how the climate & ecological emergency will be integrated with and become part of existing organisational policies and procedures? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not set out how the climate and ecological emergency will be integrated with existing organisational policies, procedures, services and strategies. | |
3.10.1 | The Plan links to and integrates with existing local authority plans and strategies. Give the point if the Plan links to any other plans and/or strategies Including but not limited to: | 1 | Plan links to or mentions any other plans and/or strategies to get 1 point |
3.10.2 | The Plan sets out how the climate and ecological emergency will be integrated with and become a key aim of financial procedures. Including but not limited to: | 1 | To be considered a ‘key aim of financial procedures’ there must be substantial evidence. One action or mention of procurement is not enough. |
3.10.3 | The Plan sets out how the climate and ecological emergency will be integrated with and become a key aim of HR. Including but not limited to: | 1 | This needs to be more than just mentioning training as there is a separate question on training later. HR involvement indicates that there are issues of climate response in job descriptions, individual development, appraisal, and performance management, as these are all HR processes. |
3.11 | Does the Plan link to and integrate with the Local Plan? | NOTE: This question does not apply to county councils and combined authorities Give 0 points if:The Plan does not integrate with and link to the council’s Local Plan. | |
3.11.1 | The Action Plan mentions or links to the Local Plan.* | 1 | This doesn’t need to be a hyperlink, it just needs to mention the Local Plan. |
3.11.2 | The Action Plan commits to the council to update their Local Plan with the climate crisis at its core. | 1 |
|
3.12 | Does the Plan set strong target dates for actions? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not set strong target dates for actions.
| |
3.12.1 | The Plan makes reference to SMART targets but it is not complete i.e they are specific and measurable but not time-bound etc. SMART targets: | 1 | |
3.12.2 | Most of the actions in the Plan have SMART Targets. | 1 | At least half of the actions must have SMART targets to get this point |
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
4.13 | Has a representative cross section of the community and relevant stakeholders been involved in developing and delivering the Plan? | Give 0 points if:There has been no community engagement in the development of the Plan and there is no strategy for engaging the public in its progress. | |
4.13.1 | The Plan clearly makes extra effort to reach harder to reach communities and under-represented groups in the environmental movement Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
4.13.2 | The Plan clearly states how residents, businesses and stakeholders will continue to be involved in the progress and delivery of the Plan. | 1 | |
4.14 | Does the Plan establish collaborative partnerships and secure commitments from different sectors within the community and include how the local authority and its leaders will work to influence and support other bodies? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not establish any collaborative partnerships and secure commitments from different sectors within the community or include how the local authority and its leaders will work to influence and support other bodies. | |
4.14.1 | The Plan identifies and establishes partnerships and secure commitments from different sectors within the community. Mention partnerships with at least 3 different organisations or sectors to get the point Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
4.14.2 | The Plan includes how the local authority and its leaders will work to influence and support other bodies. For example: | 1 |
|
4.15 | Is the Climate Emergency Action Plan easy to find on the local authority website? | Give 0 points if:The Plan is very difficult to find: When searching for it, it does not appear and/or the plan is only accessible via an appendix on the relevant meeting minutes. | |
4.15.1 | It is possible to find the Action Plan when searching for it in the search bar. | 1 |
|
4.15.2 | There is an environment and/or climate section in the drop down menu which clearly leads to the Plan. | 1 | |
4.15.3 | The Plan is accessible from the home page. This could be part of a Climate Emergency section that is advertised on the home page. | 1 | Must be able to find the plan in a maximum 2 clicks from the homepage to get the point e.g. click on the climate change icon, click on link to the plan. |
4.16 | Is the Plan structured in a clear and accessible way? | Give 0 points if:The Plan is inaccessible and unclear. This could include:
| |
4.16.1 | The layout is clear and easy to read and understand. This means: | 1 | |
4.17 | Does the Plan have a clear communication strategy? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not have a clear communication strategy. | |
4.17.1 | There is a clear communication strategy for informing the public about updates on the Plan.* | 1 |
|
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
5.18 | Does the Plan measure and set emissions targets for the whole district? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not measure and set emissions targets. If it only measures and sets targets for the council itself, rather than the area as a whole, it also doesn’t get the points. | |
5.18.1 | The Plan includes a baseline emission inventory for greenhouse gas emissions for the whole district. | 1 |
|
5.18.2 | The Plan quantifies current greenhouse gas emissions for the whole district. | 1 |
|
5.18.3 | The Plan provides a breakdown of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for the whole district. | 1 |
|
5.19 | Does the Plan highlight action areas for emissions reductions and not simply carbon offsetting? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not highlight action areas for emissions reductions and/or only concentrates on carbon offsetting. | |
5.19.1 | The Plan highlights action areas for emissions reductions.* Identify at least 3 action areas to get the point Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
5.19.2 | A hierarchy of carbon mitigation is established in which carbon offsetting is placed at the bottom, as a last resort only.* | 1 |
|
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
6.20 | Does the Plan outline the co-benefits in all action areas? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not consider the co-benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation. | |
6.20.1 | The Plan includes co-benefits in at least 3 of the following areas: 3 areas covered = 1 point 5 or more areas covered = 2 points • Environmental | 2 |
|
6.21 | Does the Plan outline public health risks in the area as a result of climate change and include actions to address these risks across the different action themes? | ||
6.21.1 | The Plan outlines public health risks in the area as a result of climate change. Outline any health risks to get the point Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
6.21.2 | The Plan includes actions to address the public health risks of climate change across the different action themes. | 1 |
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
7.22 | Does the Plan outline how to help those most vulnerable to the climate crisis? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not outline public health risks in the area as a result of climate change or include actions to address these risks across the different action themes. | |
7.22.1 | The Plan outlines who climate change will harm the most. If 3 groups are identified select option 1 If 5 or more groups are identified select option 2 Including but not limited to recognising: | 2 |
|
7.22.2 | The Plan focuses resources to support these vulnerable communities. 3 areas covered = 1 point 5 or more areas covered = 2 points Including but not limited to: | 2 |
|
7.23 | Does the Plan recognise how Councils and residents have differing responsibilities for climate action? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not recognise the council’s individual responsibility to climate action. | |
7.23.1 | The Plan’s commitments reflect the council’s and the area’s responsibility to climate action based on its economic position, current and historic GHG emissions, level of authority and power. This could include: | 1 |
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
8.24 | Does the Plan include carbon and climate literacy training for staff and councillors? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not include carbon and climate literacy training for all staff and councillors. | |
8.24.1 | The Plan does include carbon and climate literacy training for all staff and councillors. | 1 | |
8.25 | Does the Plan include climate education for the public as a key component across the different action themes? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not include education as a key component across any of the action themes. | |
8.25.1 | The Plan includes climate education in schools. | 1 | The Plan needs to include actions to work with schools to teach children and staff about the climate crisis. |
8.25.2 | The Plan includes climate education for the public as a key component in the action plan. This refers not to school children and those in formal education but everyone. Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
8.26 | Does the Plan identify the training and upskilling of the workforce that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not identify the training and upskilling of the workforce that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed. | |
8.26.1 | The Plan identifies the training and upskilling of the workforce in the local area that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed. Including but not limited to: | 1 |
|
8.26.2 | The Plan identifies how the training will happen. Including but not limited to: | 1 | But it would NOT get the point for sub-point 2 because it does not provide any detail on HOW this will happen, when it will happen and who will need to carry this out. |
| Code | Question | Max points | Additional criteria / Advice for marker |
|---|---|---|---|
9.27 | Does the Plan address the ecological emergency? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not identify the training and upskilling of the workforce that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed. | |
9.27.1 | The Plan outlines actions to address the ecological emergency. | 1 | |
9.27.2 | The Plan recognises the impact climate change is having on biodiversity loss. | 1 | If the local authority has declared an ecological emergency they will get this point. |
9.27.3 | The Plan recognises the ecological services provided by habitat within the area and suggests nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation. | 1 | |
9.28 | Does the Plan outline the ecological impact of climate mitigation and adaptation actions? | Give 0 points if:The Plan does not outline the ecological impact of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. | |
9.28.1 | The Plan outlines the ecological impact of specific carbon mitigation and adaptation actions set out in the Plan and suggests actions to address any negative impacts. | 1 | E.g. LED street lights have a negative impact on insects. |
Question description
Is the Plan led by a senior lead officer with a named individual, cabinet member or committee responsible for developing and delivering the Plan and are the actions assigned?
The Plan is not led by a senior lead officer with a cabinet member or committee responsible for development and delivery and the actions are not assigned.
Question description
The Plan is led by a senior lead officer with a cabinet member or committee responsible for development and delivery.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The individual actions in the Plan are assigned to an officer or committee to ensure they are completed on time.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The Plan identifies the key bodies needed to deliver actions.
Must mention top 4 bullets + 1 other from the list to get the point
This must include:
• The local authority
• The local authority in partnership
• Local residents
• Anchor institutions
Including but not limited to:
• Local statutory organisations
• VCSE/third sector
• Local businesses
• NGOs
• Other councils in the area
• Distribution Network Operators (DNOs)
• Utility companies
• The National Government
• Arts organisations
• Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)
• Community organisations
• Transport operators
• Council owned companies and enterprises
• Housing association
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
Does the Plan include science backed net-zero targets in which the terms are defined and the scope is considered?
The net-zero targets in the Plan are not science backed, the terms are not defined and the scope is not considered.
Question description
The Plan contains yearly or interim targets for carbon reduction in the whole district up until the net-zero target date.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The Plan states a net-zero target for the whole district
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The terms, scope and fairness are defined:
3 bullet points = 1 point
4 or more bullet points = 2 points
• The terms of net-zero are defined clearly
• The scope of the net-zero target is considered e.g. what gases are included
• An annual reduction percentage is calculated which ensures the council stays within its carbon budget
• The Plan sets out a statement of long term intent in which it details how it plans to go carbon negative after reaching net-zero
• The fairness of the targets is considered e.g. recognising that some areas have a greater responsibility to carbon reduction than others due to economic factors, historic emissions data etc.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
Is commitment to the Climate Emergency Action Plan embedded in the council’s Corporate Plan as well as all the council’s decisions and actions?
Commitment to the climate emergency Action Plan is not embedded in the council’s Corporate Plan or their decisions and actions.
Question description
Links to the Corporate Plan and commitment to the climate emergency Action Plan is embedded in the council’s Corporate Plan.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The Plan commits to placing the climate emergency at the centre of all its decisions and actions.
This means:
• There should be a line in the Plan that commits to this e.g. Nottingham’s Plan says: ‘This is one of the most important and complex challenges any society has faced, which is why the Council has taken it to the core of how it operates.’
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
Does the Plan set out a plan for funding and costing?
The Plan does not identify funding for any actions or cost any actions.
Question description
The Plan identifies funding for the actions.
Including but not limited to:
• Identifying if funding exists for an action
• If funding does not exist, identifying where the funding can be sought
• Considering the council’s own internal budgets to ensure they are being used most effectively to support carbon neutrality.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The cost of the actions in the Plan is outlined.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The Plan sets out financial return on investment where applicable e.g. renewable energy projects.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The Plan identifies ways of raising funds.
For example:
• Workplace Parking Levy*
• Licensing of private rented sector*
• Equity investors in infrastructure projects
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The Plan outlines how the local authority will allocate funds to ensure budgets are being used most effectively to support carbon neutrality.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
Does the Plan explain what the local authority can and cannot do and acknowledge actions that require support from Government?
The Plan does not explain what the local authority can and cannot do. It does not commit to lobbying higher levels of government or include actions where the UK Government and/or devolved governments can help.
Question description
The Plan recognises there is a limit to what the council can and cannot do on its own and includes notes on what it has control over.
For example:
• Transport
• Roads
• Education
• Recycling
• etc.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
The Plan commits the authority to lobbying higher levels of government when it comes across limitations of legislation and finance that impede it from taking action on the climate crisis.
Additional criteria / Advice for marker
Question description
Has the council committed to implementing a monitoring system in order to evaluate, review and update its targets?
The council does not have a monitoring system in place and there are no commitments to update the Plan annually.
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The council has a monitoring system in place for evaluating and reviewing the Action Plan.
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The monitoring system is assigned to a department or team to complete and the review process is overseen by a senior lead officer, cabinet member or committee.
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The Plan commits the council to reviewing and updating the Plan at least once annually.
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Does the Plan outline the implications of climate change for the local area?
The council does not have a monitoring system in place and there are no commitments to update the Plan annually.
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The Plan outlines the implications of climate change for the local area.
Outline at least 3 implications to get the point
Including but not limited to:
• Increasingly extreme local weather
• Sea level rise
• Coastal erosion
• Flooding
• Creation of heat islands
• Shortages of public water supply
• Problems with food production
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Does the Plan set out or link to a strategy for decarbonising the whole district for the following carbon mitigation areas?
The Plan does not set out or link to strategies for any of the above. If the council only has a strategy for its own operations the above sub-points and not the whole district then it doesn’t get the point.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for reducing consumption and waste.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising planning and land use.*
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Planning in this context is about planning in relation to land use and new buildings/homes. It can include:
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising transport.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising buildings, housing and infrastructure inc. construction.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising business and industry.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising energy generation.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising heating.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for restoring the natural environment and improving biodiversity.
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The Plan sets out or links to a strategy for decarbonising food systems and agriculture.
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Does the plan set out adaptation actions for the whole district that the Council will take in the following areas?
The Plan does not consider adaptation to climate change in any of the areas listed above. If the council only has a strategy for its own operations the above sub-points and not the whole district then it doesn’t get the point.
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The Plan sets out how the council will help residents prepare for changes in climate and extreme weather.
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Planning in this context is about planning in relation to land use and new buildings/homes. It can include:
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The Plan sets out adaptation actions for planning and land use
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The Plan sets out adaptation actions for transport
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The Plan sets out adaptation actions for buildings, housing and infrastructure
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The Plan sets out adaptation actions for business and industry
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The Plan sets out adaptation actions for energy generation
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The Plan sets out adaptation actions for the natural environment and biodiversity
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The Plan sets out adaptation actions for agriculture and food production
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Does the Plan set out how the climate & ecological emergency will be integrated with and become part of existing organisational policies and procedures?
The Plan does not set out how the climate and ecological emergency will be integrated with existing organisational policies, procedures, services and strategies.
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The Plan links to and integrates with existing local authority plans and strategies.
Give the point if the Plan links to any other plans and/or strategies
Including but not limited to:
• Biodiversity plan
• Air quality plan
• Transport or Movement strategy
• Local industrial strategy
• Asset Management plan
• Investment plans
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Plan links to or mentions any other plans and/or strategies to get 1 point
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The Plan sets out how the climate and ecological emergency will be integrated with and become a key aim of financial procedures.
Including but not limited to:
• Procurement
• Capex
• Supply chain requirements
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To be considered a ‘key aim of financial procedures’ there must be substantial evidence. One action or mention of procurement is not enough.
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The Plan sets out how the climate and ecological emergency will be integrated with and become a key aim of HR.
Including but not limited to:
• Individual objectives
• Recruitment e.g. Placing climate mitigation and adaptation into all job descriptions and providing climate focused training and resources.
• Competencies
• Accountability
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This needs to be more than just mentioning training as there is a separate question on training later. HR involvement indicates that there are issues of climate response in job descriptions, individual development, appraisal, and performance management, as these are all HR processes.
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Does the Plan link to and integrate with the Local Plan?
NOTE: This question does not apply to county councils and combined authorities
The Plan does not integrate with and link to the council’s Local Plan.
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The Action Plan mentions or links to the Local Plan.*
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This doesn’t need to be a hyperlink, it just needs to mention the Local Plan.
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The Action Plan commits to the council to update their Local Plan with the climate crisis at its core.
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Does the Plan set strong target dates for actions?
The Plan does not set strong target dates for actions.
This could mean:
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The Plan makes reference to SMART targets but it is not complete i.e they are specific and measurable but not time-bound etc.
SMART targets:
• Specific
• Measureable
• Agreed upon or actionable
• Realistic or relevant
• Time-bound (the target dates are set in line with the urgency of the situation)
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Most of the actions in the Plan have SMART Targets.
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At least half of the actions must have SMART targets to get this point
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Has a representative cross section of the community and relevant stakeholders been involved in developing and delivering the Plan?
There has been no community engagement in the development of the Plan and there is no strategy for engaging the public in its progress.
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The Plan clearly makes extra effort to reach harder to reach communities and under-represented groups in the environmental movement
Including but not limited to:
• Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities
• People with disabilities
• People on lower incomes
• People from working class backgrounds
• Faith groups
• High carbon emitting businesses
• Farmers
• Land owners
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The Plan clearly states how residents, businesses and stakeholders will continue to be involved in the progress and delivery of the Plan.
Examples including but not limited to:
Creating a permanent community forum
Allocating community representation on key committees
Creating an ongoing online feedback page
Running online webinars and engagement sessions
Physical suggestion boxes in locations around the area
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Does the Plan establish collaborative partnerships and secure commitments from different sectors within the community and include how the local authority and its leaders will work to influence and support other bodies?
The Plan does not establish any collaborative partnerships and secure commitments from different sectors within the community or include how the local authority and its leaders will work to influence and support other bodies.
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The Plan identifies and establishes partnerships and secure commitments from different sectors within the community.
Mention partnerships with at least 3 different organisations or sectors to get the point
Including but not limited to:
• The voluntary sector
• The education sector
• The health sector
• Faith organisations
• Businesses (large and SME)
• Anchor institutions
• Universities
• High carbon emitting sectors
• Farming sector
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The Plan includes how the local authority and its leaders will work to influence and support other bodies.
For example:
District councils could create climate emergency packs for parish councils in their area
Local authorities can influence Local Enterprise Partnerships, Combined Authorities, Sub-national Transport bodies and Contractors to reduce their own emissions and increase biodiversity
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Is the Climate Emergency Action Plan easy to find on the local authority website?
The Plan is very difficult to find: When searching for it, it does not appear and/or the plan is only accessible via an appendix on the relevant meeting minutes.
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It is possible to find the Action Plan when searching for it in the search bar.
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There is an environment and/or climate section in the drop down menu which clearly leads to the Plan.
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The Plan is accessible from the home page. This could be part of a Climate Emergency section that is advertised on the home page.
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Must be able to find the plan in a maximum 2 clicks from the homepage to get the point e.g. click on the climate change icon, click on link to the plan.
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Is the Plan structured in a clear and accessible way?
The Plan is inaccessible and unclear. This could include:
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The layout is clear and easy to read and understand.
This means:
• It is attractive to look at and entices people to read
• The layout is clear
• It is easy to navigate: there is a contents page, executive summary, clear outlines for objectives, timelines for actions and a table summary for actions.
• The sections are well signposted
• The language is accessible for everyone (any jargon used is defined)
• There are images, tables and infographics to help explain the content
• Colour is used well to aid understanding
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Does the Plan have a clear communication strategy?
The Plan does not have a clear communication strategy.
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There is a clear communication strategy for informing the public about updates on the Plan.*
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Does the Plan measure and set emissions targets for the whole district?
The Plan does not measure and set emissions targets. If it only measures and sets targets for the council itself, rather than the area as a whole, it also doesn’t get the points.
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The Plan includes a baseline emission inventory for greenhouse gas emissions for the whole district.
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The Plan quantifies current greenhouse gas emissions for the whole district.
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The Plan provides a breakdown of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for the whole district.
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Does the Plan highlight action areas for emissions reductions and not simply carbon offsetting?
The Plan does not highlight action areas for emissions reductions and/or only concentrates on carbon offsetting.
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The Plan highlights action areas for emissions reductions.*
Identify at least 3 action areas to get the point
Including but not limited to:
• Energy and Heating
• The Built Environment
• Transport
• Agriculture and Food
• Waste
• The Circular Economy
• Water
• Planning and Land Use
• Commercial and Industrial
• Ecological Emergency and Biodiversity
• Air Quality and Pollution
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A hierarchy of carbon mitigation is established in which carbon offsetting is placed at the bottom, as a last resort only.*
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Does the Plan outline the co-benefits in all action areas?
The Plan does not consider the co-benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
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The Plan includes co-benefits in at least 3 of the following areas:
3 areas covered = 1 point
5 or more areas covered = 2 points
• Environmental
• Social
• Job creation
• Equity and social cohesion
• Health and wellbeing
• Resilience
• Citizen engagement
• Economy
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Does the Plan outline public health risks in the area as a result of climate change and include actions to address these risks across the different action themes?
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The Plan outlines public health risks in the area as a result of climate change.
Outline any health risks to get the point
Including but not limited to:
• Air quality (statistics for the area, deaths per year etc.)
• Exposure to extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) and other weather events, eg. flooding
• Invasive species carrying disease (mosquitoes etc.)
• Disease caused by contaminated flood water
• Pandemics and epidemics
• Distribution to supply chains resulting in lack of medication, food etc.
• Malnutrition
• Eco-anxiety
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The Plan includes actions to address the public health risks of climate change across the different action themes.
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Does the Plan outline how to help those most vulnerable to the climate crisis?
The Plan does not outline public health risks in the area as a result of climate change or include actions to address these risks across the different action themes.
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The Plan outlines who climate change will harm the most.
If 3 groups are identified select option 1
If 5 or more groups are identified select option 2
Including but not limited to recognising:
• Intergenerational inequalities
• Racial inequalities
• Religious inequalities
• Class/economic inequalities
• Gender inequalities
• Disability inequalities
• LGBTQ+ inequalities
• Traveller communities
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The Plan focuses resources to support these vulnerable communities.
3 areas covered = 1 point
5 or more areas covered = 2 points
Including but not limited to:
• Energy and fuel poverty
• Food insecurity
• Improving job skills, education and retraining
• Clean air and reducing pollution
• Flood risk and recovery
• Educational risks and social risks
• Quality of public space, green space and assets.
• Infrastructure
• Accessibility to key services/housing
• Affordability of public transport and access to active travel
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Does the Plan recognise how Councils and residents have differing responsibilities for climate action?
The Plan does not recognise the council’s individual responsibility to climate action.
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The Plan’s commitments reflect the council’s and the area’s responsibility to climate action based on its economic position, current and historic GHG emissions, level of authority and power.
This could include:
• Wealthier and higher tier council’s committing to help and support councils with fewer resources e.g. areas with greater staff capacity should lead on sharing best practice and learnings.
• Recognising that historically areas have financially benefited from carbon intensive industries e.g. mining and helping residents working in these industries to retrain
• Making it clear that those on lowest incomes are not expected to retrofit their own homes etc.
• Recognising why emissions in the area are high or low
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Does the Plan include carbon and climate literacy training for staff and councillors?
The Plan does not include carbon and climate literacy training for all staff and councillors.
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The Plan does include carbon and climate literacy training for all staff and councillors.
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Does the Plan include climate education for the public as a key component across the different action themes?
The Plan does not include education as a key component across any of the action themes.
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The Plan includes climate education in schools.
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The Plan needs to include actions to work with schools to teach children and staff about the climate crisis.
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The Plan includes climate education for the public as a key component in the action plan. This refers not to school children and those in formal education but everyone.
Including but not limited to:
• Adults in work
• Adults out of work
• Carers
• Seniors
• Incarcerated people
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Does the Plan identify the training and upskilling of the workforce that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed?
The Plan does not identify the training and upskilling of the workforce that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed.
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The Plan identifies the training and upskilling of the workforce in the local area that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed.
Including but not limited to:
• Re-training workers in high-carbon industries to low-carbon sectors
• Young people
• Local businesses
• Education providers
• Local employers
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The Plan identifies how the training will happen.
Including but not limited to:
• Who will provide the training
• Creating green apprenticeships
• Partnerships with Local Enterprise Partnerships, SMEs, schools, colleges, universities, job centres etc.
• Upskilling education providers and careers services in identifying future employment trends and • opportunities
• Incentivise re-training
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But it would NOT get the point for sub-point 2 because it does not provide any detail on HOW this will happen, when it will happen and who will need to carry this out.
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Does the Plan address the ecological emergency?
The Plan does not identify the training and upskilling of the workforce that is necessary to transform the local economy at the scale and pace needed.
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The Plan outlines actions to address the ecological emergency.
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The Plan recognises the impact climate change is having on biodiversity loss.
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If the local authority has declared an ecological emergency they will get this point.
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The Plan recognises the ecological services provided by habitat within the area and suggests nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation.
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Does the Plan outline the ecological impact of climate mitigation and adaptation actions?
The Plan does not outline the ecological impact of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.
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The Plan outlines the ecological impact of specific carbon mitigation and adaptation actions set out in the Plan and suggests actions to address any negative impacts.
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E.g. LED street lights have a negative impact on insects.
The term ‘anchor institutions’ is used to refer to organisations which:
Quantifies the amount of CO2 emitted due to energy consumption in the territory of the Council in the baseline year, e.g. how much CO2 was emitted in 2005?
The money an organisation or corporate entity spends to buy, maintain, or improve its fixed assets, such as buildings, vehicles, equipment, or land.
A carbon budget is the cumulative amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold. Each Local Authority has an allocated carbon dioxide budget for the years up to 2100 in order to stay on track with the Paris agreement.
Going carbon negative refers to carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere after the council has achieved zero carbon. This means that not only are they no longer emitting carbon, but they are also actively removing carbon from the atmosphere as well.
Carbon neutrality means balancing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by ‘offsetting’ – or removing from the atmosphere – an equivalent amount of carbon for the amount produced. This can be achieved by buying ‘carbon credits’ – in essence, permission to emit carbon dioxide or other GHG in exchange for offsetting the effects of those emissions – and/or by supporting GHG-reduction initiatives such as renewable-energy projects. However, a commitment to carbon neutrality does not require (or even necessarily imply) a commitment to reduce overall GHG emissions. A carbon-neutral business needs only to offset the GHG emissions it produces – even if those emissions are increasing.
A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. For example this could be by planting trees to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and encouraging the continual use of resources.
A Citizens’ Assembly is a representative group of citizens who are selected at random to reflect the demographics of the overall population to learn about, deliberate upon, and make recommendations in relation to a particular issue or set of issues. It is still up to elected politicians whether or not to follow the assembly’s recommendations.
Efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases.
The positive benefits related to the reduction of greenhouse gases, which may not be directly related to climate change. For example, the need for climate action may bring new jobs and opportunities for prosperity to a region.
A combined authority is a type of local government institution in England, created voluntarily outside Greater London This model allows a group of local authorities to pool appropriate responsibility and receive certain delegated functions from central government in order to deliver transport and economic policy more effectively over a wider area
The Corporate Plan is an internal business planning document which sets out the council’s future priorities and objectives. This is important because a clearly set Corporate Plan ensures that the council manages its resources effectively.
This refers to working out the financial cost of the actions set out in the plan, and may be very specific about each action, or may categorise actions into low, medium and high cost items before then outlining what range of costs each of these categories represents.
The body of systems, networks and assets that are so essential that their continued operation is required to ensure the security of a given nation, its economy, and the public's health and/or safety.
The different countries in the UK have devolved governments: the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly of Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Power is delegated from central government on a subnational level so the devolved territories have the power to make legislation relevant to the area.
(DNOs) are companies licensed to distribute electricity in Great Britain by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets.
Divestment is the opposite of an investment – it simply means getting rid of stocks, bonds, or investment funds that are unethical or morally ambiguous. Divestment ensures an end to fossil fuel sponsorship, among other areas of investment.
Equity investors are people who invest money into a company, or this case a project, in exchange for a share of ownership in the company or project.
Return on investment is a financial ratio used to calculate the benefit an investor will receive in relation to their investment cost.
A household is said to be in fuel poverty when its members cannot afford to keep adequately warm at a reasonable cost, given their income.
Heat islands are urbanised areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas. Structures such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies.
A Housing Association is a not-for-profit organisation: all profits are reinvested back into their homes and services. They can rent and sell homes, which are usually classed as ‘affordable’. They often run via a democratic system of governance. HR - Human Resources - the HR department is a group who is responsible for managing the employee life cycle within an organisation (i.e. recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, and firing employees) and administering employee benefits.
Lobbying is when an individual or a group tries to persuade someone in Parliament to support a particular policy or campaign.
Local Enterprise Partnerships are locally-owner partnerships between local authorities and businesses. An LEP plays a central role in deciding local economic priorities and undertaking activities to drive economic growth and create local jobs.
A Local Plan is a document created by the council, setting out their priorities over the coming years. Plans should be succinct and up-to-date, should provide a positive vision for the future of each area and put forward a framework for addressing housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities.
A Local Statutory Organisation is any government agency or body created in the UK, by an Act of Parliament or other legislation. Examples include: the Healthcare Commission, the General Medical Council, the General Dental Council, NHS, primary care trusts (PCTs), hospital trusts, social services departments, etc.
Net-zero means that the amount of greenhouse gases emitted will equal the amount which is taken out of the atmosphere by carbon offsetting. This is different from Zero Carbon which means the authority would be emitting no carbon at all. The net-zero target is the date which is set for when the organisation/area/country aims to reach net-zero. A good net-zero target will be very clear about what is covered in the target, e.g. whether it is the council’s own operations or the whole area that will be net-zero, which gases are covered etc.
Non-governmental organisations are bodies such as charities or foundations which work for public or social good, independent of government.
Procurement refers to he purchase of goods and services by a company or organisation.
Greenhouse Gas emissions from sources located within the local authority boundary. These include:
Greenhouse Gas emissions occurring due to the use of grid-supplied electricity, heat, and/or cooling for council and private buildings and services within the city boundary.
Includes all Greenhouse Gas emissions that occur outside the city boundary as a result of activities taking place within the city boundary. These include:
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises is a label that refers to the number of employees and level of turnover in a business.
A party that has an interest in the project and can either affect or be affected by it. For Climate Action Plans, stakeholders might include: the council, its residents, business owners who supply goods to the council, etc.
A sub-national transport body (STB) groups councils together to. provide strategic transport governance at a much larger scale than existing local transport authorities could manage independently.
In Local Government a supply chain is a system of organisations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in supplying a product or service to the residents and businesses in the area. Supply chain activities involve the transformation of natural resources, raw materials, and components into a finished product that is delivered to the end customer.
The Tyndall Centre is a partnership of universities bringing together researchers from the social and natural sciences and engineering to develop sustainable responses to climate change. It works with leaders from the public and private sectors to promote informed decisions on mitigating and adapting to climate change. For each council in the UK the Tyndall Centre has created a tool to allow local authorities to calculate their carbon budgets between now and the year 2100 to cut their emissions in line with climate science and the UN Paris Agreement. The tool shows the council how much they must reduce their carbon emissions every year in order to reach this goal. See more
Utility companies are the bodies providing energy, electricity, water, natural gas, sanitation and waste disposal.
The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector includes any organisation working for social purposes, ranging from small community based groups and schemes to larger registered charities that operate locally, regionally or nationally.
The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector includes any organisation working for social purposes, ranging from small community based groups and schemes to larger registered charities that operate locally, regionally or nationally.
A Workplace Parking Levy is a cost which encourages workers to take sustainable transport options rather than drive their car to work, as it charges them for parking. Nottingham City Council successfully introduced a Workplace Parking Levy, and ring fenced the money raised for public transport upgrades in the city2.