Climate documents and decisions
In 2019 North Kesteven District Council declared a climate emergency and set out our ambition for achieving net zero by 2030, both for the council and the district. This was reaffirmed in October 2023 when Full Council unanimously passed a motion confirming the council’s continued commitment to climate action and working towards a flourishing net zero future for North Kesteven.
To achieve our climate goals, the council continues to follow and work towards our climate emergency strategy and climate emergency action plan. These set out the approaches we will take, and the actions needed to achieve net zero. You can find out more information about our key documents below.
Climate and the environment are ingrained in many of the council’s policies, plans and strategies. Our climate emergency strategy, our 2030 community strategy, the NK Plan, and the Central Lincs Local Plan all align to create a safe, sustainable and resilient future for the area and support our ambition to create a district of flourishing communities.
Climate Emergency Strategy (CES)
Our climate emergency strategy sets out our net zero vision and emissions reduction strategic aims.
Net zero means achieving a balance between the greenhouse gas emissions emitted into the atmosphere and the emissions removed from the atmosphere.
We aim to do this by reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, such as by using solar panels to generate renewable electricity, installing low carbon heating options or purchasing electric vehicles, and then offsetting any emissions that cannot be reduced. Offsetting can be achieved through actions such as tree planting, which absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
Our vision is to achieve a just and sustainable transition to net zero by 2030 for both North Kesteven District Council and the District of North Kesteven. This means bringing everyone along on our journey to net zero as we work towards achieving our climate goals and leaving no one behind.
Our climate emergency strategy outlines the nine themes we use to categorise climate action:
- Decision Making
- Communication and Engagement
- Adaptation
- Buildings
- Transport
- Natural Environment
- Energy
- Industry
- Waste and Water
We will be updating our climate emergency strategy in 2025.
Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP)
Our climate emergency action plan sets out the specific actions we will take to address climate change both within North Kesteven District Council and across the District of North Kesteven. It is updated annually, with new actions added, completed actions removed and some actions amended to reflect on challenges faced or take up new opportunities.
Quarterly reporting is undertaken to monitor all live actions within our climate emergency action plan. This forms part of the council’s NK Plan quarterly performance reporting schedule. The quarterly performance reports can be found on the council and democracy decisions webpage
The action plan is updated every financial year. Our latest action plan runs from April 2024 to March 2025.
Environment Policy
Our Environment Policy sets out the key principles and is a guidance document for colleagues, contractors, and anyone delivering work on behalf of NKDC to make sure we are taking due consideration of our impacts on the environment, promoting sustainability, and considering climate action as part of the services we deliver.
The Environment Policy is currently being updated and the new policy will be published at the end of the year.
More information
Further information on meetings and decisions, including agendas and minutes, can be found on the council’s decision making webpage