Use this page to understand how we're putting our priorities into action to address the Climate Emergency.
Responding to the Climate and Ecological Emergencies is one of two core policies in our Corporate Strategy 2020-2024 . The urgency of our response is council-wide and we are taking action across many different areas.
To make buildings in the area more environmentally friendly, we are taking several actions:
- New housing development policy ensures the energy use of any proposed new homes is measured and meets a specified target, ensuring the development is 100% self-sufficient and aims to achieve zero operational emissions. Read more about the Local Plan Partial Update .
- We have established the Green Heritage Homes project, in partnership with Bath & West Community Energy, WECA, Historic England and Curo Group, to provide retrofit guidance to owners of heritage homes before planning or listed building applications.
- We are striving to maximise home efficiency benefits to B&NES residents by working with Retrofit West, a not-for-profit 'retrofit accelerator hub', offering energy assessments and retrofit advice.
- We are working with Bristol City Leap to deliver fully funded retrofit to homeowners eligible for measures under the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
- Energy at Home is a project within the Community Energy Network that supports residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce energy costs. The project provides impartial advice, practical support and community-based activities to help households make changes that save energy and money.
- Allocating budget to make our own buildings more environmentally friendly and developing renewable energy projects within the estate.
- Working with schools to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.
- We support community renewable energy projects that keep the benefits of renewable energy in the local area. Download the Community Renewables Initial Site Assessment Service. This assessment service provides an early, low-cost steer on site suitability, identifying any clear barriers prior to progressing a scheme.
Decarbonising transport remains one of our biggest challenges. We focus on creating an environment that makes it easier to travel by public transport or active travel, as well as enabling the switch to electric vehicles. To enable more sustainable transport choices, we are taking several actions:
- The Journey to Net Zero sets out our plan to reduce the environmental impact of transport in Bath. This has been since been supported by our draft Movement Strategy for Bath, setting out when and where we plan to deliver our plan.
- The Creating Sustainable Communities Programme sets out a holistic approach to meeting the transport needs of those living, working, and visiting B&NES. The goal is to create better-connected, healthier, and genuinely sustainable communities by encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport.
- The Active Travel Masterplan sets out the existing and future network of active travel infrastructure required to enable and provide for sustainable and healthy forms of transport around the district. We are committed to the continued development and delivery of our active travel schemes including a cycle links along Green Park Road, Charlies Road and along Upper Borough Walls. Read more about our active travel schemes.
- Continuing to implement the Clean Air Zone.
- Delivery of a range of community-led measures to improve the safety and environment of residential streets and encourage more active travel through our Liveable Neighbourhood schemes.
- Enhancing and expanding the active travel network by creating a level, accessible route from Newbridge to Batheaston as part of the Bath River Line project.
- Across BANES we have installed 40 cycle hangars, providing 236 secure, weather protected on street cycle parking spaces.
- Continuing to promote sustainable travel in schools through the school journeys app and awarding schools for their sustainable travel choices using ModeShift Stars. Further support schools to deliver, where appropriate, School Streets, ensuring students can travel safely to and from school though timed vehicle restrictions.
- Piloting a last-mile delivery service to reduce supplier journeys into Bath.
- Supporting the West of England Transport Vision by working with Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset on the WECA Mass Transit Project to improve mass transit between Bath and Bristol, and within the Somer Valley Region.
- Expanding the public electric vehicle charging network across Bath and North East Somerset. As of 2025, B&NES has 118 public chargers, with plans to install an additional 200 by 2030.
- We own 68 electric vehicles, making up 25% of our operational fleet. These include cars, vans, motorbikes, sweepers, mowers, utility vehicles and plant vehicles. We also have plans for future electrification underway, including new electric refuse collection vehicles, repowering options for our existing fleet, and plans for further EV replacements over the coming years.
- Continuing to implement our flexible staff working policy which supports homeworking to reduce travel and promote sustainable transport options, as well as offering salary sacrifice schemes for electric vehicles and bicycles.
To generate more renewable energy and encourage residents to switch to renewable energy sources, we are taking several actions:
- Continuing to use renewable energy across all of our energy contracts since switching to 100% renewable energy in April 2021.
- Updating planning policies to allow increased renewable energy generation through the Local Plan Partial Update. This will help to rapidly increase our renewable energy capacity.
- Continuing to support the three community energy organisations working in the district; Bath and West Community Energy, Keynsham Community Energy and Chelwood Community Energy.
- Encouraging our contractors, service partners, and other stakeholders to procure renewable energy.
- Supporting the Community Energy Network's Energy in Your Community programme. Funded by the National Lottery Climate Action Fund, the Community Energy Network brings together B&NES Council, Bath & West Community Energy, the Centre for Sustainable Energy and the University of Bath to help communities understand what renewable energy could look like locally and assess the feasibility of potential projects.
To encourage and continue efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, we are taking several actions:
- Launching our new Journey Towards Zero Waste 2030 Strategy, with a focus on working with residents to achieve the 62% recycling target, making our neighbourhoods cleaner and greener, and delivering objectives of the climate and nature emergency.
- Investing £40m in a state-of-the-art waste and recycling facility at Pixash Lane, Keynsham, which has been recognised with a top award for its innovative approach to reuse and recycling and its positive impact.
- We will open another new waste and recycling centre at Locksbrook in 2026.
- We work with residents, community groups, schools, universities, and other organisations to deliver a wide range of campaigns and waste education initiatives.
To enable us to lead sustainably and help us reach our goals, we are taking several actions:
- Embedding sustainability and climate action into all procurement activity - one of six priority themes in our Procurement Strategy.
- Reporting our climate action progress to external bodies, achieving a B score from the Carbon Disclosure Project, and ranking 17th among all single tier UK Local Authorities in 2025 through the Climate Action Scorecards.
- Offering climate literacy training to all council staff.
- Working to incorporate climate and ecological risks for climate adaptation into council services.
Read our Annual Climate & Nature Reports .