Global recognition endures for SWT’s climate action
21 November 2022 : Council news, Environment
Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) Council has been repeatedly recognised as a leader in responding to the climate emergency by the not-for-profit charity, CDP.
The Council achieved a score of “A-” (Leadership) for its 2022 disclosure, an improvement on last year’s score of “B” (Management).
Regarded as the ‘gold standard of environmental reporting’, CDP supports organisations in making their environmental impact transparent to stakeholders, better understanding to reduce their impact, and acting to become environmental leaders.
The disclosure identifies the ways in which SWT is working to mitigate and adapt to the projected impacts of climate change.
In October 2020, the Council approved its Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience (CNCR) Action Plan and the Somerset Climate Emergency Strategy – versions of which were used to complete the 2022 disclosure.
The score demonstrates that through these documents and climate activities, SWT has demonstrated best practice standards across adaptation and mitigation, set ambitious goals and made progress towards achieving those goals.
Ahead of vesting day for the new unitary authority on 1 April 2023, all Somerset councils have been working collaboratively on climate related activities, through which SWT is recognised as a leader for its contribution.
Executive Member for Climate Change, Cllr Dixie Darch, said: “It fills me with great pride to know that Somerset West and Taunton has once again been recognised as a global leader in local climate action.
“We’ve made a great start since declaring a climate emergency in February 2019, and Councillors and officers have worked extremely hard to put climate change at the heart of everything we do.
“There's still so much left to do of course but we're committed to taking bold action to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, to improve the lives of residents and futureproof our district.”
To view the Disclosure Insight Action 2022 Feedback Report from CDP, visit:
https://www.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/media/3604/cdp-snapshot-report-2022.pdf