Climate Change
In November 2019 we declared a climate emergency pledging to work to make the Borough carbon neutral by 2030 which we continue to work towards.
In order to tackle the Climate Change Emergency a Climate Change Strategy has been developed.
Read our Climate Change Strategy
Our Climate Change Programme is outlined by the following themes:
Nature and Biodiversity
The Council has set a target to plant a tree for every resident by 2025, that's a total of 116,875 trees! We are achieving this by planting trees on our own land, farmers' land and giving trees and hedges to residents to plant at home. We hold tree giveaways during the planting season regularly, keep an eye out for the next one.
Find out more about our Emergency Tree Plan, wildflower meadows and wildlife corridors on our Nature and Biodiversity page.
You can find out more about the November tree giveaway on Citizenspace here:
As a Council we do not use peat within our own assets such as our parks and flowerbeds, we only use peat free compost. We also do not use pesticides on our grounds in an effort to conserve the natural biodiversity.
Chorley has 6 parks and open spaces which have been awarded green flag status. Discover our Green Flag parks.
Energy
The Council is taking measures to reduce our carbon footprint by improving the efficiency of our buildings and operations. Solar panels have been installed on Chorley Town Hall to supply energy to the building and all new construction follows the BREEAM construction standards for high energy efficiency. We are publishing our Carbon Footprint publicly to show our progress, check back here for updates:
Carbon Footprint Report Final 2019-2020 (Word doc) [526KB]
Here is some information regarding Home Energy Efficiency and tips for you to do at home to lower your energy and water usage Home energy and water saving tips (Word doc) [15KB] .
There may be more actions you can do at home to lower your energy and water usage through COSY HOMES Lancashire - who may be able to support increased insulation and boiler replacement for eligible residents.
(Clean) Air Quality
Air Quality is important for our health, wellbeing and the environment.
Find out more about Chorley's Air Quality here.
Waste and Recycling
- why recycle?
- how to reduce your waste
- what happens to your waste and recycling
- reducing your plastic footprint
- View the waste section of our website
Sustainable transport
- We offer Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Chorley and are looking to expand the network.
- Lancashire has many cycle routes that can be used for commuting as well as leisure purposes. More information can be found on the Visit Lancashire Cycling Lancashire website.
- More information on local buses and public transport from is available from Lancashire County Council: Lancashire public transport
Water
- We are a member of the Douglas Catchment Partnership
- Read about grid, drain and flooding problems
Community and Engagement
As a Council we work to engage with our local community at all stages of the Climate Change programme.
During the drafting of our Climate Change Strategy 2022-24, we consulted our residents to ensure their opinions and priorities are within the strategy. The outcome of the Climate Change Strategy Draft Consultation can be read here Climate Change Strategy Consultation Outcomes Report 2022 (Word doc) [534KB] .
Useful support and resources for businesses
If you have any queries relating to climate change, please email us at climatechange@chorley.gov.uk