Council policy on climate & nature

Climate change & nature action plan

The Climate Change & Nature Action Plan, previously the Climate Change Action Plan, was approved at Full Council in February 2024, with a first review and update of the document approved by members at Corporate Management Committee on 10 April 2025. A second review and update was taken to the Climate Change and Nature Members Working Party on 7 July 2026. The Action Plan provides a framework for everyone to take action to reduce emissions and adapt to the climate change that is already occurring, driven by the vision, objectives and targets set out in the Council’s Climate Change Strategy.

The updated Climate Change & Nature Action Plan and accompanying version control document, highlighting changes made from the adopted Climate Change Action Plan in February 2024, are available below.

The Action Plan identifies over 200 actions and sub-actions which focus on reducing emissions that the Council can directly and indirectly control and influence, and actions which will help reduce borough-wide emissions. It is designed to set us in the right direction, but it will continue to be developed to keep pace with shifts across society, technology and wider policy, including the changing needs of communities, groups and organisations in Runnymede. 

The Action Plan includes a chapter describing how delivery will be monitored, including how progress reports will be presented at Corporate Management Committee.

The Climate Change & Nature Action Plan is a result of a collaborative effort from many individuals and organisations across the Borough and beyond. 

We have engaged with local communities, businesses and residents over the last few months to understand some of the opportunities and barriers people face in taking action on climate change. Feedback from this early engagement, has been brought together with other evidence from internal and external sources to develop the Action Plan, which aims to address some of the barriers identified by people. Feedback from public consultation which took place from December 2023 – January 2024 has also helped shaped the Action Plan. The outcomes of the ‘Summer of Engagement’ and the public consultation, and how this feedback has helped shape the Action Plan, are described in the following documents:

The Climate Change & Nature Action Plan will be reviewed and updated over time as new information becomes available - we recognise we do not have all the solutions yet, and we are committed to working with our partners and communities to continually refine our approach.

The Climate Change & Nature Action Plan identifies short, medium and longer-term actions that we can work towards delivering by 2030 and beyond. All of the actions are organised into eight themes

  • Greener Homes & Buildings - actions to reduce emissions and increase resilience of Runnymede’s building stock, covering both privately owned and Council owned homes and buildings
  • Energy Generation & Storage - actions to reduce emissions from and increase the resilience of the energy sector in Runnymede - includes steps to transition the Council’s energy to green and clean sources
  • Active & Sustainable Travel - actions to reduce emissions from the transport network, improving air quality and helping residents live active and healthy lifestyles
  • Natural Environment & Biodiversity - actions to improve the quality, carbon storage potential and resilience of Runnymede’s natural environment, and maximise the potential for biodiversity in our green spaces
  • Reducing Borough-wide Waste - actions to reduce waste and use resources efficiently, working towards a ‘circular economy’
  • Green Economy - actions which help ensure Runnymede’s future economic growth is resilient and green
  • Sustainable Council - actions which reduce carbon emissions through all Council business, such as procurement, fleet and employee travel
  • Supporting our Communities - actions which haven’t already been identified in preceding themes which focus on communications, engagement and sharing information with our local communities to help reduce emissions across the wider borough

There are many ways you can help contribute to the delivery of the action plan - several actions under these themes are about working with our local communities to bring about changes.

Our Climate Change & Nature Action Plan is primarily focused on actions to reduce greenhouse gases and it interlinks closely with a range of other Council policies on relevant topics. For example, actions have been included in the Action Plan which relate to the following topics: