Climate change and home energy

Climate change is a global issue that will impact every aspect of the UK's economy, society and environment, threatening our well being and that of our children. We have already seen more intense extreme weather events such as dangerous heat waves; floods and coastal erosion; storms; wildfires; droughts; and severe declines in species biodiversity (on Earth and in the oceans). Unless we take action to reduce CO₂ emissions now, these effects will become more likely and have a greater impact when they occur.

To help combat the impact of climate change we need to adapt to a more sustainable lifestyle.

To find out more follow the links below:

What we are doing as a council

The Council is working to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from its own buildings and operations. This includes emissions from its offices and corporate buildings, leisure centres, business mileage and fleet (including the waste and recycling trucks). From 2009/10 to 2010/11, the Council reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 4.7% and aims to do the same in this financial year. The attached report lays out where the emissions come from, savings and increases in certain areas, and what the Council has been doing to save energy and fuel.

Changes in the climate and weather are likely to have a major impact on council services, residents and our surroundings. The 2007 floods are a poignant reminder of this fact.

We have studied the weather events that occurred in West Oxfordshire from 2001 - 2008 and examined the impact of these events on our services. The study also evaluates the impact and consequences of the weather event, our response at the time, and any changes that have been put in place to make the service more resilient in the future.

For more information see:

An emergency planning booklet which helps you to prepare for a range of emergencies including flooding is available:

'Are you ready?' booklet

Environmental policies and strategies

We are committed to putting sustainability at the heart of our business and services and looking at social, economic and environmental issues together.

Our climate change policy sets out how we will reduce our own environmental impact and will influence and support positive change across the district.

View our Climate Change Policy

We have demonstrated our commitment to tackling climate change and to reducing our own 'carbon footprint' by agreeing to the Nottingham Declaration.

View the Nottingham Declaration

Further information

For more details on any of the environmental strategies and policies detailed above, please contact our environmental policy team or call 01993 861349.