The climate and ecological emergency
We formally declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019 and agreed that we have a responsibility to ensure a more sustainable future and that adopting a leading position will bring new jobs and economic gains. This is an extension of our commitment to the Paris Pledge for Action.
What it means
Declaring a climate and ecological emergency is a significant step that demonstrates our commitment to addressing climate change and mobilising resources and community efforts towards a sustainable future.
Our efforts to tackle the climate and ecological emergency are a key objective towards a sustainable environment - one of the priorities of our corporate strategy.
Plans to become carbon neutral
We are committed to making our operations carbon neutral by 2030. Additionally, we aim for the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole area to be net zero by 2045, 5 years ahead of the national target. This ambitious goal is partly driven by our membership in UK100, a network of councils dedicated to cleaner energy and sustainability.
This is an ambition rather than a legal requirement. While we are dedicated to working toward this target, it represents a significant challenge and will require sustained effort, funding support, citizen engagement and collaboration across sectors.
Tackling biodiversity loss
The State of Nature's 2003 report on the UK's current biodiversity is the most comprehensive report on the UK's current biodiversity. As part of the Environment Act (2021) we have a duty to report further on this locally.
In September 2022, we adopted the Green Infrastructure Strategy. This aims to reverse biodiversity loss and support nature recovery. In 2024 we adopted our Urban Forest Strategy bringing in principles of equity and resilience to our tree management planning.
More information about the work we are doing to deliver better for nature can be found on our BCP Projects website. This includes a landscape scale of our nature recovery plans, partnering with Dorset Council, down to site specific projects protecting our heathlands.