Norfolk County Council recognised as one of the top-performing climate authorities

Norfolk County Council has been recognised as one of the top-performing local authorities in the UK, according to the latest climate action scorecards.

Published by Climate Emergency UK, the scorecard evaluates councils on key areas such as green energy, sustainable transport, and environmental stewardship.

Norfolk County Council has achieved third place among all county councils in the UK, with the authority saying that it has “cemented its position as a national leader in climate action”.

Its overall score has improved by three percentage points since 2023, making it the top-performing council in Norfolk.

Cllr James Bensly, cabinet member for environment and waste at Norfolk County Council, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be recognised as one of the top-performing councils in the country.

”What’s especially rewarding is that these are not just policies on paper—residents can see the difference in their communities.

“From new LED streetlights and thousands of newly planted trees to electric buses on our roads, our climate action is becoming part of everyday life in Norfolk.

“It’s equally important that we continue this work, and that includes preparing for the impact the changes in climate will have on Norfolk.

“We need to ensure that we push for better protection from flooding and coastal erosion, while continuing to support our firefighters with the tools they need to deal with extreme weather events.”

The climate action scorecards are an independent assessment of local authority climate action. The full results can be found online.

Norfolk County Council has made “significant strides” in reducing its environmental impact and supporting a greener future for the region.

This has helped the authority to slash its carbon emissions by 61% since 2016/17.

The county council’s key achievements include all council-owned and leased buildings where the council pays the electricity bill are powered by a 100% green electricity tariff.

The county council recently completed the upgrade of its street lighting to energy-efficient LEDs, saving over one million kWh of energy annually and reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 200 tonnes per year.

Rooftop solar installations now generate around 2% of the council’s building electricity needs.

Earlier this year, the council celebrated the planting of the 500,000th tree as part of its mission to reach one million trees across the county. The total has now surpassed 600,000.

In addition to cutting emissions, Norfolk County Council is also preparing the county for the local impacts of climate change.

Norfolk firefighters have been provided with PPE specifically for use in spate conditions where they attend fires in the open and other weather-related emergencies.

The service has also recently invested in four additional 4x4 vehicles. They have joined the existing fleet to provide off-road capability and are kitted out with misting units.

Norfolk County Council is also strengthening the county’s climate resilience through its work with the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance (NSFA).

Established in 2021, the NSFA brings together more than 20 partners—including the Environment Agency, Anglian Water, and local councils—to coordinate flood risk management across the county.

The alliance established a single point of contact for residents to report flooding incidents and has delivered multiple flood mitigation projects in areas like Shimpling, Heacham, and Gorleston.

To find out more about Norfolk County Council’s effort to tackle climate change, you can visit the council’s website.