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The Eastbourne Climate Emergency

Latest updates: 

Welcome to the Eastbourne Climate Emergency page. Eastbourne aims to be Carbon Neutral by 2030.

Through our Climate Emergency Declaration we are committed to progressing towards our 2030 carbon reduction targets, and to improving our environment in partnership with our communities.

This page will be updated with information on current actions and future updates. Please read our strategy and get involved in local action. Included below are useful links to other sources of information, Sussex wide action and links to general advice on things such as reducing energy consumption at home.

The Climate Emergency Strategy

At the bottom of this page you can access the Climate Emergency Strategy (with action plan) and Summary documents approved at Cabinet on 4 November 2020. The strategy provides the background information on emissions for the Council and the borough. We will use these to measure our progress towards Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030.

The December 2022 update to the EBC Climate Strategy is also now available to download at the bottom of this page.

If you are interested in how you can make a difference at home and in your community to reduce the impacts of climate change, then please have a look at the Summary. It summarises the work the Council is doing, our aims and vision for Eastbourne in 2030, and provides a quick guide to how you can help. To get involved with others locally then please join the ECO Action Network. Resources to support the education sector with issues around climate change can be found at www.ecoed2030.com.

The EBC Climate Emergency Strategy contains eight themes that can be viewed by downloading the document at the bottom of this page. Links to further information and other sources of advice related to these themes are also provided below.

You are not alone and the little changes we can all make really will add up!

The following groups and organisations are all able to provide information and advice on how travel impacts the environment and what options we have.

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 News

Covers breaking news and key developments concerning the issue of air quality in towns and cities across the UK.

Air Quality News

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.

Responsible travel: eco tips for getting around

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.

Sustainable Travel Guides

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 

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.

Fuel poverty

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 (Feb 2019)

OVESCO

A community group run by local volunteers in East Sussex that creates community owned renewable energy projects so the local community can become zero carbon.

OVESCO 

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

Let’s make our workplaces sustainable.

WWF

Conserve Energy Future

30 ways to go green at workplaces.

Conserve Energy Future

Treebourne 

Treebourne is an Eastbourne-based volunteer-run group which focuses on getting trees planted, on both public and private land. 

We work with Treebourne to help find sites - large and small - where new trees can be planted. Treebourne also do his independently of the council. They also raise the money to buy trees, enlisting volunteers needed to plant them, and planning and managing the planting projects.

treebourne.org

Gardening for wildlife

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

The 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

Joint Nature Conservation Committee: UK Biodiversity Indicators 2020

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

JNCC: UK biodiversity indicators 2020

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

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.

Sustain: 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

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 your food waste can help the climate

Reduce, reuse, reycle 

By reducing the amount of waste we all produce, and recycling as much as possible, all residents can make simple, practical actions to combat climate change.

 

Plastic Free Eastbourne 

Plastic Free Eastbourne promote initiatives to improve the way we care for our planet. They believe in taking action with urgency in order to raise public awareness about some of the most pressing issues facing our environment.

www.plasticfreeeastbourne.co.uk

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.

ICL

HM Government

Our waste, our resources: A strategy for England.

Our waste, our resources

United Nations News

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

UN News 

Eastbourne ECO Action Network

A community interest company whose goal is to turn Eastbourne carbon neutral by 2030 and to make it one of the best places to live in the UK.

Eastbourne ECO Action Network

The World Bank: The water blogs

Ideas and solutions to address global water issues.

World Bank Blogs

United Nations: Climate Change

What do adaptation to climate change and climate resilience mean?

UN: Climate Change

Climate ADAPT

Provides access to a wide range of relevant publications, tools, websites and other resources related to climate change and health.

Climate ADAPT

HM Government: National Adaptation Programme

The government has updated the National Adaptation Programme (NAP) and remains committed to tackling the effects of a changing climate on the UK.

HM Government: NAP

House of Commons Library

How is the UK adapting to climate change? Spotlight on health.

HoC Library: Climate Change

The Guardian

What is carbon capture, usage and storage – and can it trap emissions?

The Guardian - 24 Sept 2020

National Grid

Unlocking a sustainable future by locking away carbon.

National Grid: Cutting carbon emissions

Imperial College London

Assessing the economic and environmental value of carbon capture and utilisation in the UK.

ICL: Carbon capture

Citizens & 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.

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 Environment Strategy 2020

Eastbourne Schools Network- ECO ED 2030

EcoEd2030 is a collaborative network helping Eastbourne's education institutions and their wider community access eco-resources and ideas.