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Lewes district climate change and sustainability

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. Also 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 Change and Sustainability Strategy

The Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy will set out how the district Council addresses the causes and impacts of climate change in order to meet the Climate Emergency Declaration made in 2019.

Video interview about the strategy

The Strategy will contain key actions and milestones that, working together, the Council, our statutory partners, business, third sector and community partners will need to deliver to reach our net zero carbon target. The Strategy elaborates on the actions currently being progressed. The Council has a key role to play as a community leader and through the services we provide.

The strategy contains seven action areas which 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 areas are also provided below.

LDC to implement new technical advice notes for developers

Councillors at Lewes District Council recently agreed to implement three new technical advice notes for developers that place greater focus on issues of sustainability, both in the planning phase of construction and when work is underway on site.

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

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

WWF: Let’s make our workplaces sustainable

Tips on workplace sustainability.

WWF

Conserve Energy Future

30 ways to go green at workplaces.

Conserve Energy Future

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 

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

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

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

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

United Nations News

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

UN News

Refill

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

Refill

Plastic free communities

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

Plastic free communities

Huge boost for district recycling in Lewes

A council review of waste and recycling facilities at every block of flats in Lewes district has led to over 100,000 litres of additional recycling capacity being created.

Eurostat: Greenhouse gas emissions from waste

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

Eurostat

UN Climate Change: Reducing Emissions - Companies and Organizations

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

UN Climate Change

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

Sussex Flow Initiative

A Natural Flood Management (NFM) project working with and restoring natural processes to reduce flood risk within the River Ouse catchment.

Sussex Flow Initiative

The World Bank: The water blogs

Ideas and solutions to address global water issues.

World Bank Blogs

Green Facts: Water Resources

How could water resources be developed sustainably?

Green Facts: Water Resources

Water UK: a manifesto for water

The water industry in England has set out an ambitious new vision for the 2020s.

Water UK

Waterwise

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

Waterwise

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.

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

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

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

HM Government

Our waste, our resources: A strategy for England.

Our waste, our resources

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.