Blackpool Council

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.

As a compact urban area with good public transport, low car ownership and limited large-scale manufacturing businesses, Blackpool is a relatively low emitter of carbon dioxide; and yet the coastal location makes us most vulnerable to its effects. The council declared a climate emergency in June 2019, committing us to net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and working towards similar across the town. As the most deprived local authority in England, we recognized from the outset that achieving a “just” transition requires strong stakeholder leadership and extensive public involvement.

We believe in a world where transport is sustainable and accessible to everyone, so that future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits that transport delivers, wherever they live, without causing lasting damage to people and our fragile planet. We believe that this can be achieved by delivering a safe, accessible and reliable public charging network, as reputable and trusted EV charging infrastructure is critical to the switch to sustainable mobility. That is why we are sponsoring this award – to celebrate the councils that are leading the charge to ensure EV infrastructure matches the rising demand for sustainable transport.