On 22 January 2019 Cornwall Council declared a Climate Emergency. The Council committed to preparing a report within 6 months. This report outlined the work needed to become carbon neutral by 2030. As part of the process we spoke to thousands of residents across Cornwall. On 24 July 2019 the Cabinet unanimously approved the ambitious plan.
Download the full Climate Change Action PlanPlease note that this is an extensive 63 page document.
Read more about what the Council is doing
Greenprint for a cleaner, greener and fairer Cornwall
Our response to the climate emergency is an ongoing conversation. This is with organisations and individuals in Cornwall and beyond. We are continuing to engage and learn as new challenges and new opportunities arise.
The Carbon Neutral Cornwall Action Plan explains our vision for how Cornwall can become carbon neutral. We have made a good start and now we need everyone to get involved.
Everyone has a role to play in Cornwall reaching carbon neutrality.
Big change can happen from us all taking action in our every-day lives. Small changes in how we move around, shop, eat, and live will add up to something bigger.Read the Carbon Neutral Cornwall Call to ActionYou can help us shape Cornwall's Carbon Neutral 'greenprint' and put it into action.
Help shape the greenprint for a cleaner, greener and fairer Cornwall
Carbon Neutral Cornwall priority projects
Our plans provide a roadmap for carbon neutrality ahead of the UK Government's target of 2050. They include the following projects, as identified in 2019:
- Forest for Cornwall will be 8,000 hectares (about 2% of Cornwall's land) of trees and hedges to absorb carbon and provide new outdoor spaces. This will also help to protect our existing trees, woodlands, and hedges. One million trees have been planted so far.
- To increase the amount of renewable energy generated in Cornwall and further reduce carbon emissions, Cornwall Council has:
- Built a smart-grid wind turbine that generates enough energy to power over 1,400 homes.
- Constructed a solar farm in mid-Cornwall that generates enough energy to power 1,000 homes. It is one of the largest local authority solar farms built during 2017.
- Developed a £20m Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Technology Fund.
- Initiated the development of a Local Area Energy Plan for Cornwall. This plan will help us continue to decarbonise our energy system and support more renewable energy generation. We ran a Residents' Energy Panel and are working with organisations and individuals across Cornwall to develop this plan.
- New planning policies to help the Council act on climate change. The Climate Emergency Development Planning Document (DPD) was formally adopted in February 2023. It is a statutory plan and is supporting climate change considerations within our planning process. This Plan won the Royal Town Planning Institute's 'Excellence in Plan Making Practice' award at the 2024 Awards for Planning Excellence.
More information
For more information about Cornwall Council's Action Plan please email: climatechange@cornwall.gov.uk