Our Completed Actions So Far
Since June 2020, we've annually targetted achieving a set of Top 20 Actions for the coming year. We set out a flavour below of what we have achieved so far.
In 2019/20 we:
Declared a climate emergency, and began our journey to reduce carbon emissions and reverse the decline in nature
We started to collect detailed data on what the council's emissions are, so we could target our actions effectively.
In 2020/21 we:
Moved our electricity contract to 100% renewable energy supply
Replaced our entire street and car parking lights to low energy LED lighting
Adopted two new planning policy documents, covering climate change and the natural environment, so that new developments in East Cambridgeshire could be more environmentally friendly than ever before
Undertook energy audits of our buildings, so we could commission energy efficiency improvements
Started a programme of staff training, so as to embed environmental thinking into all the services we undertake
In 2021/22 we:
Helped 10 local schools commence their journey to Eco-Charter status
Implemented new grass cutting and wildflower management on our parks and open spaces, with fabulous results arising
Installed energy efficiency measures in our own buildings, helping to reduce our energy use
Started a multi-million pound programme of retrofit improvements to people's homes
In 2022/23 we:
Achieved bronze level Investors in the Environment accreditation, the first council in Cambridgeshire to do so
Installed PV Solar Panels across our E-Space North office building, Littleport, targeting at least a 50% reduction in grid electricity usage and aiming to halve its electricity bill
Reduced our paper use by 35%
Committed to shift our fleet vehicles, such as our refuse collection lorries, away from diesel fuel to much more environmentally friendly vegetable oil
Installed 24 electric vehicle charging points, across three separate public car parks
Helped create, through a free tree give-away programme, 28 new community orchards right across East Cambridgeshire
In 2023/24 we:
Awarded over £60,000 towards 18 community nature projects, under our Pride of Place grant scheme
Committed to long term hedgehog recovery, following a public vote
Gave away 75 oak trees to communities to mark the King's Coronation
Trialled using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel in our refuse collection vehicles
Reduced our paper use by a further third compared with the previous year
Commenced carbon literacy training for all staff
Saved £14,000 in electricity bills and 7 tonnes of carbon emissions in the first year of using our newly installed solar panels at E-Space North
Achieved silver level Investors in the Environment accreditation
Detailed Monitoring Reports
From 2024, we have started to produce a detailed annual monitoring report. Each report sets out how well we did at meeting our Top 20 targets from the previous year.
The report also provides a detailed breakdown of the council's carbon emissions, the district's carbon emissions, and Cambridgeshire's emissions as a whole.
Actions underway
If you want to know what actions and activities are underway or planned for the current year, please visit our Current Environment Plan page