BCP Council has outlined 153 measures in a new action plan detailing how it aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. 

BCP Council will:

1. Procure all Council electricity from zero-carbon renewable sources

2. Assess the energy efficiency of Council buildings

3. Review energy project funding options

4. Install energy saving measures in retained Council buildings

5. Install renewable energy measures in retained Council buildings

6. Establish a Corporate Property Group to review accommodation

7. Assess the energy efficiency of Council buildings

8. Dispose of unwanted/inefficient buildings, after reviewing their energy efficiency, or redevelop sites to build new carbon neutral homes

9. Implement new accommodation strategy

10. Investigate procurement of zero-carbon green gas for Council buildings

11. Install energy saving measures in retained Council buildings

12. Install renewable energy measures in retained Council buildings

13. Install water saving measures in retained Council buildings

14. Install waste saving, reuse and recycling measures in retained Council buildings

15. Consider review of the land attached to each building asset to establish opportunities to improve biodiversity and staff involvement

16. Develop a Sustainable Construction Policy for corporate buildings

17. Publish the bi-annual Home Energy Conservation Act Report to Government

18. Develop a Sustainability Strategy for Housing including improving energy efficiency of the Council’s new build programme and considerations for retrofitting existing stock

19. Seek to influence the house building sector on sustainability and input to the Local Plan on future new build standards

20. Seek to influence landlords on the sustainability of existing stock

21. Enforce Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in private rented sector where appropriate

22. Tackle the illegal mis-selling of energy products and supplies

23. Conduct a review of current sustainable planning policy to aid enforcement

24. Seek to include policies in the new Local Plan for climate change mitigation and adaptation, including a policy to encourage zero carbon developments, subject to viability testing

25. Seek to include policies in the new Local Plan for Policy for new homes to be built to higher than current Building Regs standards

26. Seek to make it a requirement in the Local Plan for renewable energy and sustainable waste management to be integrated into all new developments

27. Seek to include Flood Protection Policies in the new Local Plan and policies aimed at creating biodiversity net gain

28. Consider carrying out a strategic parking review to examine parking/car club standards

29. Encourage energy-efficient/renewable energy retrofitting of homes

30. Investigate the use of developer contributions (CIL, S106, 273) to fund climate change measures

31. Identify suitable areas for large-scale renewable energy in the Local Plan

32. Investigate and promote installation of PV on all viable properties

33. Consider identifying and procuring land suitable for tree planting schemes and other mitigation measures

34. Seek to develop incentives for brown field sites awaiting development to be used as temporary SUDS and carbon capture sites

35. Explore greater use of natural burial over cremation, procuring additional space for natural burial, to be used as tree planting sites following burial

36. Consider a review of culverted, piped and covered surface water drains, possibly breaking them open as vegetated SUDS

37. Encourage minimising the use of sealed and non-porous surfaces on all new infrastructure projects

38. Seek to promote development of green roofs and walls, street trees and urban greening

39. Seek to include Air Quality policy in the new Local Plan

40. Consider enhancing ‘Cycle to work’ scheme discounts to facilitate increased cycling to work, and ‘get back on your bike’ training for less confident cyclists

41. Seek to install more high-quality showers, lockers, changing facilities, secure cycle parking for staff at work and residentially, such as on-street bicycle hangers

42. Conduct a review of the Council’s vehicle fleet

43. Publish a BCP Council Corporate Travel Plan that will be monitored and acted upon

44. Consider introducing School Travel Plans to all schools to promote alternatives to car use

45. Seek to implement measures to reduce staff car use

46. Introduce ‘New ways of Working’, in conjunction with accommodation changes and technology to facilitate less staff travel and to reduce the use of consumables

47. Continue to expand tele-conferencing facilities in major buildings

48. Develop a policy/strategy for installing meeting room AV equipment

49. Investigate provision of additional facilities to support active travel

50. Explore development of an extended network of EV charging points for Council use to provide certainty of provision

51. Assess the feasibility of congestion charging options in BCP and other means of changing behaviours towards more sustainable options

52. Consider a best practice proportion of the transport budget to be ring fenced for spending on developing Active Travel networks

53. Explore how the taxi licencing criteria could be amended to encourage newly licensed vehicles to be electric or hydrogen fuelled

54. Consider a review of public off-street car parks in main centres

55. Consider a review of free workplace car parking (where currently available) for staff and elected members

56. Seek to develop partnership offers with bus and rail companies for staff season ticket discounts on public transport

57. Investigate providing Park and Ride sites and favourable pricing schedule, with secure cycle parking and traffic free cycle route from sites

58. Seek to carry out Climate Change Assessments on transport projects

59. Investigate replacement of Council vehicles with zero emission EVs or hydrogen vehicles, or alternatives where practicable, such as cargo-bikes

60. Investigate viability of fleet of cargo-bikes, electric cycles and motorcycles for staff use

61. Promote bridges and underpasses to include proper wildlife crossing opportunities

62. Investigate investment in ‘safe routes to school’ including crossings, wider pavements and safe cycle routes

63. Consider rolling out ‘School Streets’, where streets around schools become pedestrian and cycle access only at school run times

64. Consider the trial of temporary measures such as car free days and segregated cycle lanes created by movable barriers

65. Investigate adoption of Streetscape Guidance setting high standards for the design of streets and spaces prioritising walking, cycling and public transport

66. Develop a Green Infrastructure Strategy and carbon offsetting plan aiming for the 2030 target

67. Investigate the allocation of land to allow natural woodland generation from trees, natural habitat and heathlands at scale to absorb carbon and become ‘carbon sinks’

68. Investigate community tree-planting and biodiversity enrichment programmes

69. Assess the introduction of a programme of public realm tree planting

70. Work with Environmental Finance and Vivid Economics to better understand the value of parks and open space for nitrate absorption and carbon sequestration and encourage investment in this.

71. Consider review all mown amenity sites for woodland creation or allowing natural succession. Amenity being spaces not allocated for recreation, pitches etc. such as large verges and greens in housing estates

72. Seek to develop native garden spaces within formal parks and recreation grounds

73. Work to develop information and incentives with partners to encourage better practice within private spaces and gardens, such as hedgehog corridors and native amenity planting

74. Create nature sanctuaries that minimise disturbance for ground nesting birds and other animals.

75. Update Climate Change Risk Assessment

76. Produce Supplementary Planning Document for climate change place adaptation

77. Reduce Council waste sent to landfill and increase recycling from Council buildings

78. Reduce resource use, particularly paper for printing and single-use plastic

79. Unify household waste, recycling and food waste collections across the area to increase recycling and reduce residual waste

80. Procure new residual waste disposal and non-residual waste processing contracts exercising where possible the proximity principle

81. Enhance commercial waste and recycling services offered to local businesses

82. Engage with staff, residents, schools and visitors on waste reduction and recycling initiatives and campaigns

83. Seek to progress towards single-use plastic-free status and support community plastic-free initiatives

84. Seek to minimise or cease the sale of single use plastics and encourage alternative materials throughout our retail operations

85. Support the Environmental Innovation hub built to inform Seafront waste reduction

86. Hold a Climate Emergency Citizens Assembly

87. Publish an Engagement Strategy to better involve people in decision-making

88. Introduce a ‘New Ways of Working’ behaviour change programme, in conjunction with accommodation changes and technology to encourage less staff travel

89. Draw up an internal Communication Plan

90. Endorse a Zero Carbon Workplace Charter for behaviour change

91. Launch a Decision Impact Assessment tool to embed sustainability

92. Carry out a review and adopt sustainable procurement strategy and guidance – including practices to reduce carbon in the supply chain, local sourcing, fulllife-costing and assessment of suppliers to encourage energy and waste reduction

93. Promote and encourage low carbon best practice among commissioned services

94. Investigate a carbon charge on projects/decisions to fund offsetting

95. Investigate divestment of fossil fuels from the Council Pension Fund

96. Promote consistency in decision-making to ensure that we are consistent in communicating and acting on this emergency

97. Prioritise measures that have the most impact

98. Monitor and communicate progress via a Climate Emergency Annual Report

99. Seek to establish 'carbon budgets' for Council services

100. Maintain communication with Government and encourage positive action on all related legislation

BCP Council will work with partners to:

1. Continue the Local Energy Action Partnership scheme to help residents save energy at home

2. Promote low carbon grants to businesses

3. Investigate options to offer residents renewable electricity

4. Seek to identify and consider purchase of sites for large-scale renewable energy installations

5. Consider a cost-effective insulation programme for homes

6. Promote home energy demand reduction and low-cost improvements

7. Extend the multi-agency Affordable Warmth Partnership across the BCP area

8. Use ECO-Flex to facilitate energy saving grants to fuel poor residents

9. Consider heating improvement promotion to businesses (boilers, heat pumps and heating controls)

10. Promote cost-effective energy improvements to businesses

11. Consider waste reduction, reuse and recycling improvements to buildings

12. Develop a BCP Walking and Cycling Strategy 2020 -2035 and expand cycle network and storage facilities at major destinations

13. Assess provision of segregated cycle lanes, cycle priority at traffic lights and training programme for safe cycling

14. Promote and expand car club schemes across the BCP Council area

15. Promote and expand the Business Travel Network

16. Investigate provision of electrical hook-up points at Port of Poole to enable shipping to turn off engines

17. Examine use of sail and solar power for container traffic in Port of Poole

18. Assess the feasibility of the introduction of electric or hydrogen buses and charging/fuelling infrastructure

19. Seek to work with operators to deliver smart, integrated ticketing and innovative pricing structures to encourage use

20. Investigate carrying out of a Strategic Parking review and new Parking Policy to deliver parking pricing schedule for BCP car parks that is commensurate with reducing car trips for commuting and leisure, while providing high quality public transport alternative

21. Commence Transforming Cities Fund sustainable travel initiatives

22. Consider a workplace car parking levy to fund sustainable transport

23. Consider installing electric vehicle charging points across the conurbation

24. Review feasibility of parking charges at ‘Out of Town Centre’ retail parks

25. Seek to hold car-free days to encourage modal shift and investigate the creation of car free town centres in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch

26. Investigate development of a Freight and Movement of Goods Strategy, to look at light goods vehicle licencing minimum emissions standards with major distributors in logistics sector

27. Seek to work with Bournemouth Airport to encourage reduce emissions from flights and passenger travel

28. Investigate potential of a large scale tree planting programme

29. Promote a ban on polluting activities that are harmful to nature (e.g. sky lantern and balloon releases)

30. Work closely with local wildlife groups to support biodiversification and the reintroduction of lost species

31. Work with partners on landscape scale wildlife conservation programmes e.g. Stour Valley, Christchurch Harbour and Poole Harbour

32. Encourage developers to include habitat measures within residential and commercial developments. Ensure habitat measures are included in all council build projects e.g. swift/sparrow boxes, peregrine boxes, bug bricks

33. Investigate natural flood defence and coastal protection opportunities for intertidal habitat creation (e.g. saltmarsh), which can store more carbon than woodland

34. Create Strategies and Action Plans to engage all sectors in adaptation work

35. Seek to ensure that via communication, communities and sectors are aware of future risks, pre-emptive actions and how to mitigate

36. Support community single-use plastic-free initiatives

37. Enhance recycling facilities ‘on the go’

38. Support and promote community waste reduction and reuse initiatives such as sharing and donation of materials

39. Promote business minimisation of packaging

40. Seek to apply the proximity principle to treat and/or dispose of wastes in reasonable proximity to their point of generation

41. Seek to influence the behaviour of our commercial partners and lessees in their retail operations to minimise or cease the sale of single use plastics

42. Consider a ‘Smart Place’ approach to support new ways of moving around, better health outcomes and other community services

43. Launch a behaviour change programme for residents on all issues, including: energy, waste, water, travel, food, shopping

44. Inform residents, businesses and visitors of progress

45. Develop and agree a science-based emission reduction pathway for the BCP area

46. Support the Voluntary & Community sector to reduce emissions

47. Work with business organisations to signpost them towards sustainable practices for all business sectors

48. Investigate an integrated policy approach to Climate Change and Air Quality

49. Encourage businesses subject to emissions controls to adopt an Environmental Management Policy

50. Expand the successful Leave Only Footprints environmental awareness campaign

51. Submit annual emissions data to CDP for Global Covenant of Mayors

52. Participate in networks of similar organisations addressing climate change (Covenant of Mayors, LGA, APSE, local and regional partnerships)

53. Consider developing a local offsetting scheme for area-wide emissions remaining at 2050