Cornwall Council has been named the nation’s leading local authority in tackling the climate crisis in a prestigious awards ceremony held today (September 17).
The unitary authority has won the Leadership in Responding to the Climate Emergency category in the MJ Local Government Achievement Awards .
The awards highlight local authorities’ delivery of services over the last 12 months and allows them to share expertise with peers across the nation.
In a ceremony hosted by former politician Ed Balls and held at London Hilton Hotel, judges praised Cornwall Council for being clear in its role in tackling climate change and the work it has done to date to engage with communities.
They said the Council’s excellent use of evidence provided a compelling narrative and highlighted its significant actions in work on environmental mitigation, adaptation and nature-based solutions.
Martyn Alvey, Cornwall’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “This national award is testament to our leading work in tackling the climate emergency, helping Cornwall work towards net zero emissions and protecting and adapting our environment to benefit our residents.
“It is a shining example of how we are gaining national recognition amongst local authorities across the country for our pioneering work in lowering carbon emissions and engaging our residents and partners in the fight against global warming. I want to congratulate our brilliant climate change team for achieving this accolade and everyone who has joined us in taking climate action so far.”
Cornwall Council was one of the country’s first local authorities to produce a detailed and ambitious plan to tackle the climate emergency while developing a blueprint for regional leadership.
The plan to help Cornwall strive towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030 includes the Forest for Cornwall, a homes retrofit programme and new electric vehicle infrastructure. It has attracted the attention of scientists and the government and is a key reason the region was chosen to host G7.
The MJ Awards have been held every year since 2004 recognising officers, managers, teams and councils, and is one of the major events in the public sector calendar.
See here for more information about the MJ Awards.
Story posted on September 17, 2021