Essex CC

This award is open to a single council or where appropriate a partnership of councils, or a council-owned company. Private sector or public sector partners can enter on a council’s behalf, with the permission of the council itself. Councils are uniquely placed to effect change in response to the climate crisis. This award is intended to mark excellence in any aspect of a council’s work in addressing the carbon footprint of the council, its services and its broader local area. Entries may include work to capture climate benefits from changed behaviours or work with local businesses and communities to address the climate crisis, to both enable economic growth and secure environmental improvements. Entries will be judged on the innovation of their submissions, the extent to which it has delivered measurable change, the quality of evidence of support from local communities, and the ability for other councils to replicate the work.

Essex CC has an ambitious plan to take action on the global climate challenge. Environment is a core theme in its Everyone’s Essex strategy published in October 2021. November 2022 marked a key milestone for the council with the publication of its first annual climate action report, which reports progress in the first year of the climate action plan. Despite the cost-of-living crisis and the impact of the pandemic, Essex CC has made significant progress with its commitment of transforming Essex to net-zero by 2050.