Ealing Council’s bold plan to tackle the climate emergency going forward has been recognised as one of the best in the country.

The independent organisation Climate Action UK has ranked the council’s ambitious strategy in the top ten per cent of responses to climate crisis by local authorities surveyed and fourth placed in London. It used an expert-approved checklist to assess the response of each council in a range of different areas, which contributed to the overall score.

Ealing’s climate action strategy was particularly highly rated for how it engages and works with the local community, who worked in partnership with the council to write it.

The council also scored highly on Climate Action UK’s scorecard for its commitment to setting emissions targets, reflecting the council’s aims to achieve ‘net zero’ for carbon emissions in the borough by 2030.

As part of its climate action strategy, the council has so far delivered 15 School Streets, making it safer and easier for children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, and installed around 300 electric vehicle charging points so far.

New cycling lanes have been introduced in locations, including various points along Uxbridge Road, as well as a new bus lane along this vital east-west route through the borough. More measures to support cyclists are planned for other areas in the future. A borough-wide speed limit of 20 miles per hour has also been introduced.

A new food waste recycling service for residents living in blocks of flats has been piloted and its first phase, communal food waste bins have been installed, giving access to recycling to almost a thousand flats.

Around 30,000 new trees and saplings have been planted in the borough since 2018 as part of the council’s biodiversity action plan.

Councillor Deirdre Costigan, cabinet member for climate action said: “Our climate emergency response demonstrates a clear commitment to acting on the climate crisis and I am delighted that Ealing has rightly been recognised for the ambition and potential of its strategy to deal with this huge issue.

“It reflects not only the urgent steps that we have taken to address this challenge, but the hard work and dedication of so many residents working in partnership with us as we turn this strategy into reality.

“The hard work is only just beginning as we look to implement these changes, which aim to not only tackle the dire threat of climate catastrophe but secure a better future for our residents.

“We will always support local people to make these changes in their lives as we strive for a more environmentally-friendly future for our borough.”

You can find out more about the climate action strategy on the council’s website and learn about terms such as ‘net zero’ and carbon neutral via this explainer article.

Check Climate Action UK’s council scorecard here.