Environment Strategy

The South Somerset Environment Strategy was formally adopted and approved by Councillors of South Somerset District Council in October 2019.

The strategy sets out both the immediate actions and long-term goals for the district achieve a significant reduction in SSDC’s carbon emissions.

It promotes the development and adoption of a sustainable environment, economy and communities within South Somerset and helps to develop a strategy that will achieve a significant reduction in SSDC’s carbon emissions.

Take a look at our Environment Strategy

View the South Somerset Environment Strategy and better understand how South Somerset District Council will look to achieve its immediate and long-term goals to achieve a significant reduction in our carbon emissions.

If you're interested in the joint Climate Emergency Strategy being developed by all Somerset's councils, you can find more information here.

What we are currently doing

We're doing so much! Since its adoption officers across the Council have been working hard to get baseline data on our own and the districts carbon footprint, identifying where our biggest impacts are and where improvements need to be made.  We are working on possible tree and woodland schemes, developing schemes to engage with and support our communities on a whole range of environment projects, undertaking an audit of cycle infrastructure, supporting the installation of water refill points and supporting clean business growth.  Further work is also taking place to work up business plans for larger and longer term project work.

Check out our South Somerset Environment microsite to find out more and join us on our journey to be carbon neutral by 2030. 

Visit www.southsomersetenvironment.co.uk

March 2022

Our environment team has been creating the new 2022-2023 environment action plan and the process has highlighted the many environmental projects achieved since we declared a climate and ecological emergency. We've put together a video to showcase them.

Watch our Environment Achievements video here

What the Councillors say

Councillor Val Keitch, Leader of South Somerset District Council, said: “The Environment Strategy sends a clear message that South Somerset District Council is committed to achieving a significant reduction in its carbon emissions and that we recognise that this is only the beginning of what can be achieved. We want to make it clear to the public across South Somerset and beyond that we are a Council that is committed to action, but equally committed to informed action because this is public money that is being spent and we want to make sure our efforts are invested in making that difference where it counts and is wanted.”

Councillor Sarah Dyke, South Somerset District Council’s portfolio holder for Environment, added: “We have conducted a number of engagement events with local, regional and national groups to help us understand the issues that matter most to people. Through this engagement, we have identified a number of interventions that will help to significantly reduce our carbon emissions. We want to make it clear that we can only action what we are responsible for, but we are committed to working with stakeholders to enable positive change throughout the district.

“Funds have been made available by the authority to help action the interventions that are detailed in the strategy and we are excited to be able to start delivering these ambitions, to meet and exceed our targets, whilst exploring what more we can do in the future.”

How you can get involved

You can engage with us and let us know how you would like to be involved in the future. Email strategy@southsomerset.gov.uk and let us know what you would like to do, whether it be informed about future projects or prepared to get involved within your community with recycling, reusing, biodiversity, protection species plus much more.

A Somerset Climate Emergency Framework is also being produced countywide by Somerset’s five councils, who have agreed that action needs to be taken and work needs to be conducted in collaboration with our communities. The Councils have come together to produce the Framework that is intended to spark a vital conversation with our communities, interest groups, businesses and other relevant stakeholders to help us build the full Climate Emergency Strategy and the actions that arise from it. The aim is to produce a detailed strategy by July 2020.

Across Somerset, there will be a number of Climate emergency have your say drop-in events which are organised by the Somerset Climate Action Network and hosted by all five Somerset local authorities. We'd love to hear your views about how we develop a Somerset Plan for tackling the Climate Emergency. Look out for more details coming soon on our social media platforms and website.

You can also keep up to date with all our environment news in our monthly environment e-newsletter Get SuSSed.

You can view all issues and sign up for yours here