East Suffolk Council
Environmental Impact Strategy plants seeds for addressing climate and biodiversity emergencies
East Suffolk Council has given unanimous support for a strategy setting out its commitment to protecting the environment and tackling climate change.
The Environmental Impact Strategy was adopted by Full Council on Wednesday 24 July and forms a core pillar of the overarching Our Direction 2028 vision for East Suffolk over the next four years.
The strategy sets East Suffolk Council’s environmental vision and priorities for delivering positive climate, nature, and environmental impacts through its decisions and actions.
Cllr Tom Daly, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Energy and Climate Change, said the Council had “planted the seeds for the future” by adopting the strategy with unanimous support.
Our Direction 2028 was approved by Full Council in November following significant consultation and development. As well as Environmental Impact, its four strategic themes include Sustainable Housing, Tackling Inequalities, and Thriving Economy, and aim to promote a bright, green, open, free, and fair future for East Suffolk.
The most important priorities to residents who took part in consultation on the Environmental Impact theme of Our Direction 2028 were supporting sustainable transport, restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, working in partnership to manage coastal adaptation and resilience, a continued commitment to Net Zero by 2030, and supporting, promoting and implementing green tech.
All are now among the Environmental Impact Strategy’s key priorities, along with a focus on reduction, re-use, and recycling of materials, encouraging food self-sufficiency, and preserving and maintaining the district’s beauty and heritage.
Cllr Daly said:
“Our environmental impact should be a key consideration in every decision we make, and every action we take as a local authority.
“The Environmental Impact Strategy not only sets out how we approach the challenges of climate change, but also how we can reap the multiplier benefits of changing the way we use and consume resources.”
East Suffolk Council has committed to collaborate with other local and national organisations to deliver the strategy’s priorities, including by working with partners to address important national issues such as low carbon transport and decarbonising private homes.
Delivery of the strategy’s priorities will be monitored by a cross-party Environment Task Group and Officer Environmental Impact Delivery Group.
A key performance indicator dashboard will also track progress of all environment-themed areas, including activities related to climate change.
Cllr Sally Noble, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Environment, added:
“There is an urgent need for us all to take action to address what has become an ecological emergency.
“We have a duty to our residents, wider society, and future generations, to ensure that our environment impact is at the forefront of our work and feeds into our other priorities for things like housing, equality and the economy.”