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The climate change and sustainability strategy

Latest news

For the whole district to become net zero carbon it must be a joint effort. The council is only directly responsible for 0.3% of carbon emissions. We can only achieve our vision and strategic goals effectively by understanding which aspects the council can directly act on, and those that we can only deliver by working with others in public, private and voluntary sectors across the district.

The district is home to a multitude of individuals, volunteers, organisations, charities, schools, Community Interest Companies and businesses that are committed to sustainability goals such as lowering carbon emissions, reducing pollution, improving the natural environment and reducing poverty, as well as two world leading universities in the fields of sustainability, environment policy and engineering solutions.

We aim to reflect the impact of district wide activity through our communications, press releases and annual updates within the seven strategic action areas that provide the framework for the delivery of the strategy and action plan.

Latest updates:

Climate and Nature Strategy and Action Plan

Read about our partners, and download the strategy, pathway, roadmap and other documents relating to our climate change and sustainability strategy.

Climate and Nature Strategy July 2024
 The refreshed strategy contains the key objectives, targets and milestones that the council, its partners and the community will aim to achieve on the journey to becoming a low carbon district. We want to be a district that plans for the impacts of climate change, and benefits from restored natural habitats and green spaces.  The council will seek to provide leadership and act as an enabler to support neighbourhood, district and regional climate and nature action. 

The strategy contains eight action areas. It can be downloaded below along with the most recent annual update.

LDC Climate and Nature Strategy July 2024 (PDF, 830 KB)

Climate and Nature Action Plan Update 2023-24 (PDF, 2 MB)

East Sussex Environment Strategy 2020

A partnership of private, public and educational sector organisations has formed the Environment East Sussex Board, which has developed this Environment Strategy.

East Sussex County Council - Environment Strategy 2020

The Greater Brighton Economic Board

The Greater Brighton city region pledges to help tackle the climate change crisis and place itself at the centre of partnership efforts to effect real change.

The GB10: Pledges from Greater Brighton on the Environment

You can view the Internal Council Carbon Baseline Report and the Lewes District Carbon Emissions Analysis and Pathways Report completed by Anthesis consultants by downloading the document below.

Evidence and research
LDC Carbon Emissions Analysis and Pathways 2021 (PDF, 1 MB)
LDC Carbon Emissions Summary 2018 to 2019 (PDF, 228 KB)
Citizens and Climate Crowdfunding for Net Zero (PDF, 2 MB)

 

Archive
LDC Sustainability and Climate Strategy November 2023 update (PDF, 4 MB)
LDC Sustainability and Climate Strategy November 2022 update (PDF, 2 MB)
LDC Sustainability and Climate Strategy November 2021 update (PDF, 796 KB)
LDC Sustainability and Climate Strategy and Action Plan 2021 (PDF, 23 MB)
LDC Biodiversity Strategy June 2021 (PDF, 670 KB)
LDC Biodiversity Strategy June 2021 (PDF, 670 KB)
LDC Internal Carbon Emissions Summary 2018 to 2019 (PDF, 228 KB)
LDC Carbon Emissions Analysis and Pathways (PDF, 1 MB)
LDC agricultural and land use study (PDF, 1 MB)
LDC Fleet Replacement Strategy (PDF, 1 MB)
Citizens and climate crowdfunding for net zero (PDF, 2 MB)
Decarbonising our housing stock - Roadmap for 2030 zero carbon (PDF, 343 KB)

 

Sustainable council

Providing clear leadership, addressing climate change risks to our services, improving decision-making processes, accurately determining our scope 3 emissions and aiming to reduce them through a sustainable procurement policy.

Lewes District Corporate Plan 2024 to 2028

A net zero carbon and climate resilient council and district by 2030. Read the full corporate plan or download it as a PDF below:

LDC Corporate Plan 2024-2028 (PDF, 5 MB)

Lewes District Council's Sustainable Procurement Policy

Sustainable Procurement policy (PDF, 202 KB)

UN Climate Change: Reducing Emissions - Companies and Organizations

Reduction measures for companies' or organisations' greenhouse gas emitting activities.

UN - Climate Change

WWF: Let's make our workplaces sustainable

Tips to re-evaluate office spaces and business practices.

WWF tips to make workspaces sustainable

30 ways to go green at the workplace

Conserve Energy Future has written a thought-provoking article with lots of hints and tips. 

Go green at the workplace

Net Zero 360

The UK's first full service net-zero business package.

Clean Growth - Net Zero 360

Climate Adaptation

Understanding climate adaptation and the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3)

Gov.uk - Understanding climate adaptation and NAP3

WWF

The difference between climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation

Climate Literacy training

Accredited training offered by Community Energy South. Formulate action plans for your home, workplace and community. 

Community Energy South

Energy and the built environment

Lewes Local Plan 

The Local Plan is currently being drafted and it is set to be published in 2025. 

Towards a Local Plan spatial strategy and policies directions (PDF, 7 MB)

Energy Saving Trust

Information and advice on home energy efficiency measures to keep your home warm whilst reducing your carbon footprint and energy bills.

Energy Saving Trust

Fuel Poverty

Fuel poverty is a serious and complicated issue, which energy suppliers are helping to tackle in a number of ways.

Visit our webpage on Fuel poverty

Help on energy costs is also available via cost of living crisis support.

Help with the rising costs of living

UK Green Building Council

The UKGBC aims to improve the sustainability of the built environment, by transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated.

UK Green Building Council

Report: UK housing: Fit for the future?

This report aims to assess the measures that need to be adopted in the housing sector to both manage climate change impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Committee on Climate Change - Housing Fit For The Future (PDF, 4 MB)

OVESCO

A community organisation in East Sussex that creates community owned renewable energy projects, and offers an energy champion service providing free retrofitting advice to homeowners and  household energy bill help and advice to all residents.

OVESCO

Great British Insulation Scheme

On the 14 September 2023, the government launched the £1 billion Great British Insulation Scheme to help some families insulate their homes. Families in lower council tax bands with less energy-efficient homes will be offered upgrades such as roof, loft or cavity wall insulation. Use an online checker for the Great British Insulation Scheme to find out if you are eligible

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

You can get one grant per property. Current grants are available for: £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops), £5,000 towards a biomass boiler

Apply for a boiler upgrade scheme

Decarbonising Our Council Housing Report

Summary of groundbreaking research on retrofitting and decarbonising council owned homes at scale.

Decarbonising our Housing Stock: Roadmap for 2030 zero carbon

Sustainable travel and air quality

Read about progress on our goals to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. This includes reducing reliance on cars and encouraging a more sustainable and low carbon district wide transport network.

Sustrans: Active Travel Toolkit

A charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle.

The Role of Active Travel in Improving Health

Air Quality

Sussex Air Quality Partnership promotes improvements in air quality across Sussex. 

Air Quality News covers breaking news and key developments concerning the issue of air quality in towns and cities across the UK.

Action for Clean Air is a global action plan to mobilise individuals and organisations to act on air pollution. 

Friends of the Earth: Responsible travel: eco tips for getting around

Part of an international community dedicated to protecting the natural world and the wellbeing of everyone in it.

Friends of the Earth - Responsible Travel

DEFRA: Sustainable Travel Guides

Sustainable travel is about providing transport to suit local needs through a package of measures which promote attractive sustainable transport alternatives such as walking, cycling, public transport and sustainable car use.

DEFRA - Sustainable Travel Guides

Bicycle hire

There are options to hire bikes to explore Lewes district or to transport goods.

Cuckmere Cycle Co | Community cargo bike hire | Sussex Bike Hire

Seaford Cycling Without Age helps older people and those with mobility difficulties enjoy nature and socialise through trishaw rides.

Car clubs and car share schemes

Enterprise Car Club | Co Wheels

Mobility scooter hire

Much More Mobility

Electric vehicle charge points

Find electric vehicle charge points in Lewes District and across the UK.

Zap Map | Connected Kerb

Cycle routes map

Cycle Lewes cycle maps | The Living Coast cycle routes | South Downs National Park cycle routes | National Cycle Network maps

Environmental Protection UK: Air pollution and transport

A national charity that provides policy analysis and information on air quality, land quality and noise and their effects on people and communities.

Air Pollution and Transport 

LDC Fleet Replacement Strategy 

Lewes and Eastbourne Fleet Replacement Strategy June 2023 (PDF, 1 MB)

Biodiversity

We are working to protect, restore, and increase a resilient nature network across the district. We aim to positively impact biodiversity (20% biodiversity net gain) in the planning process, and retain and extend the UNESCO biosphere status of the Brighton and Lewes Living Coast.

Sussex Wildlife Trust

A conservation charity for everyone who cares about nature in Sussex, focussed on protecting the rich natural life that is found across our towns, countryside and coast.

Sussex Wildlife Trust

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy

If you have a business, are a land manager or community organisation in our district, that's already active in nature's recovery, find out how you can add get involved.

Sussex Nature recovery

Changing Chalk

Led by the National Trust, Changing Chalk is a landscape-scale partnership connecting nature, people and heritage on and around the South Downs.

Changing Chalk

Ouse Valley Climate Action (OVCA)

A National Lottery-funded programme bringing the community together to inspire positive action to mitigate the effects of climate change in the lower Ouse Valley and Havens.

Ouse Valley Climate Action

Local climate hubs & community led projects

Local climate hubs and community led projects

Living Coast biosphere

A designated urban biosphere reserve, The Living Coast stretches between Newhaven and Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex.

The Living Coast

Lewes Biodiversity Study 

As part of the Lewes Local Plan, a biodiversity study has been conducted. 

Lewes biodiversity study

Gardening for wildlife

Learn how to provide food, shelter and breeding spots for the wildlife in your garden.

Wildlife Garden Project

The National Biodiversity Network

A collaborative partnership created to exchange biodiversity information, with over 200 members and almost 200 million wildlife records available.

National Biodiversity Network

DEFRA: Biodiversity 2020

A strategy for England's wildlife and ecosystem services.

DEFRA Biodiversity 2020 (PDF, 2 MB)

Joint Nature Conservation Committee: UK Biodiversity Indicators 2023

The JNCC is the public body that advises the UK Government and devolved administrations on UK-wide and international nature conservation.

UK biodiversity indicators 2023

The National Trust: What is biodiversity?

Europe's largest conservation charity, looking after nature, beauty and history for the nation to enjoy.

National Trust - What Is Biodiversity?

Natural England: Biodiversity

The government's adviser for the natural environment, helping to protect England's nature and landscapes for people to enjoy.

Natural England

WWF: Biodiversity

The world's leading independent conservation organisation.

For downloadable posters and worksheets go to WWF Biodiversity

LDC Biodiversity Strategy

LDC Biodiversity Strategy June 2021 (PDF, 670 KB)

LDC Pesticide Policy

Pesticide Policy (PDF, 284 KB)

 

Sustainable food systems

Working in partnership with others to increase sustainable food production, develop equitable food systems across the district, enable greater local food reliance, and prevent food waste.

Lewes District Food Partnership

Connecting sustainable food businesses, local growers and producers, emergency food providers, food waste activists and social eating spaces.

Lewes District Food Partnership

Lewes Friday Food Market

Lewes Local Community Interest Company (CIC) is a not-for-profit company with the broad aims of developing sustainable local food systems and making it easier for more people to buy good, healthy, seasonal food.

Lewes Friday Food Market

Lewes Farmers Market

Carefully sourced local produce supporting the rural economy.

Lewes Farmers Market

Community Growing

The Council is keen to support community growing initiatives and this guidance aims to ensure applications are robust, well thought through and appropriate for any given site.

Homes First Community Growing Spaces - Guidance and Application Process (PDF, 212 KB)

LDC agricultural and land use study (PDF, 1 MB)

Food waste

BBC: How cutting your food waste can help the climate

All food generates greenhouse gases to reach our plates, but when nearly a third of it is thrown away or wasted.

BBC - How Cutting Food Waste Can Help The Climate

United Nations News

Wasting food just feeds climate change, new UN environment report warns.

UN News

Love Food Hate Waste

Tips and advice to eliminate household food waste.

Love Food Hate Waste

Diet and climate change

WWF - What we eat matters to our own health and to our Planet's health 

Plant based diets

BBC climate change food calculator

Find out your diet's carbon footprint.

BBC climate change food calculator

The National Trust: Food

Europe's largest conservation charity, looking after nature, beauty and history for the nation to enjoy. Sustainably produced, local and seasonal food is better for the environment.

National Trust - Food

Friends of the Earth: Food production and sustainable farming

Part of an international community dedicated to protecting the natural world and the wellbeing of everyone in it.

Friends of the Earth - Food Production and Sustainable Farming

Sustain: Sustainable food

An alliance of organisations and communities working together for a better system of food, farming and fishing, and cultivating the movement for change.

Sustainable Web - Sustainable Food

BBC Bitesize: Food security - a global concern

The BBC's educational website, with reference to increasing food sustainability.

BBC Bitesize - Increasing Food Sustainability

 

Waste and litter

We want to reduced waste and litter to improve our public realm, increase recycling rates and support of reduce, reuse and repair projects.

Refill

Refill connect people to places they can eat, drink and shop without the pointless packaging.

Refill - life with less plastic

Plastic free communities

A community network tackling single-use plastic from beaches & green spaces.

Plastic free communities

Litter picking

Get support with litter picking, starting a new group or joining and existing one.

Litter Picking

Find out how you can reduce, repair, reuse and recycle

A-Z of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Find a repair cafe in Lewes district.

Keep Britain Tidy has lots of helpful information. 

Wrap aims to protect the planet by changing the way things are produced, consumed and disposed of. 

Sign up to Lewes District Council's Food waste collection service.

Sign up to Lewes District Council's Garden waste collection service. 

Eurostat: Greenhouse gas emissions from waste

Between 1995 and 2017, greenhouse gas emissions from waste in the EU have fallen by 42%.

Eurostat

Report by Imperial College London: Centre for Environmental Policy

An exploration of the resource sector's greenhouse gas emissions in the UK and its potential to reduce the carbon shortfall in the UK 4th and 5th carbon budgets.

Imperial College London - greenhouse gas report

HM Government

Our waste, our resources: A strategy for England.

Gov.uk - Our Waste, Our Resources

Water, rivers and seas

We work in partnership with others to mitigate against the risk of coastal erosion and support communities to be resilient to flooding. We hope to preserve and improve the water quality of our rivers and seas.

Lewes District Council Southern Water Panel 

This panel was set up to look at how Southern Water was performing in dealing with wastewater discharge into the district's rivers and seas. However, the panel decided early on that to review this effectively, it also needed to hear from other organisations and individuals with a particular interest or insight in this area. The panel's role has been to listen to those views and consider what recommendations it can make to best support improvement in water quality, taking into account the health and wellbeing of our residents and the local environment, and the council's own policy direction.

Southern Water Panel Report - November 2024 (PDF, 1 MB)

Wilder Ouse 

Bringing together people across the Ouse catchment to restore natural processes and create a robust Nature Recovery Network.

Wilder Ouse projects

Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust

Protecting and enhancing the local water environment around the Ouse and Adur network.

Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust

Love Our Ouse

A water quality monitoring programme. Find out how to get involved.

Love Our Ouse

Sussex Bay

A vision for Sussex Bay: 100 miles of coastline where our seascape and rivers flourish. A healthy blue ecosystem in which nature, people and local economy can thrive.

Sussex Bay

Environment Agency's incident hotline

To report and environmental incident call 0800 80 70 60 or visit Gov.UK report an environmental incident

Seaford to Eastbourne Nature Recovery Project 

This project aims to create wildlife-rich habitats, improve climate security, and offer opportunities for the local communities.

Seaford to Eastbourne Nature Recovery Project

The World Bank: The water blogs

Ideas and solutions to address global water issues.

World Banks Blog

Green Facts: Water Resources

How could water resources be developed sustainably?

Green Facts: Water Resources

Water UK

The trade association for the water industry in the UK.

Water UK

Waterwise

An independent, not-for-profit UK NGO focused on reducing water consumption in the UK.

Waterwise

Community wealth and wellbeing

Ensuring there is a fair and equal transition to zero carbon for all. We work with partners to facilitate and enable green skills development and support local social enterprises.

Community wealth building action plan and case study 

Community Wealth Building

Citizens and Climate - Crowdfunding for Net Zero

As part of the Net Zero Innovation Project grant, funded by the Local Government Association, the Council and it's partner the University of Sussex has reviewed ways in which alternative financing could provide a way to fund projects to tackle the climate emergency. You can find the report, which summarises the work and the next steps, in the documents below.

The Circularity Gap Report 2021

Enacted globally, a circular economy can close the Emissions Gap.

The Circularity Gap

The Conversation

What would a sustainable circular economy look like?

Join in at The Conversation

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Develops and promote the idea of a circular economy.

Ellen Macarthur Foundation

Right Here, Right Now COP26 films

On Friday 12 November 2021 we held a film screening as part of the Depot Cinema's two week Climate Action Festival. Read the film listings and links.

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