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What We're Doing

Action on the climate and ecological emergency is urgent and Swale Borough Council recognises the importance of leadership, to rapidly build and maintain momentum. The council is determined to establish itself as a beacon of best practice and learning, to stimulate and support borough-wide action.

Swale Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency in June 2019, recognising the threat Climate Change posed locally, nationally and globally. The declaration included commitments to:

  • take all measures within our control to make Swale Borough Council's own operations carbon neutral by 2025
  • engage with businesses, organisations, and residents to facilitate the action required to make the Borough of Swale carbon neutral by 2030.
  • make spaces for nature a key priority, and safeguard our wild places, ancient woodlands, and hedgerows.

Despite good progress,  it became clear that these targets could not be met.

Throughout 2024 the Council undertook a carbon audit, the findings of which informed the creation of a revised Climate and Ecological Emergency Action Plan. This was adopted by Council in March 2025.

Our Action Plan

You can read the plan here.

Achieving net-zero in our operations.

The revised action plan set targets by scope.

Most organisations categorise their emissions by scope. This makes it easier to identify where emissions are coming from, and control the sources.

Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions  are those which are directly in our control, and relate to our staff business travel, electricity, and purchased heat and cooling. These will be easier to  target through direct measures, meaning that we can set an ambitious target of 2035 for these scopes.

Scope 3 emissions are those which are not directly related to the Council, but instead from the businesses that we purchase goods and services from. Although the Council has influence through our procurement methods, this aspect of net-zero will rely on wider decarbonisation of our supply chains through strong policy from central government.

Achieving net-zero for the borough

In reviewing data on regional emissions, it became clear that the 2019 target of net-zero by 2030 for Swale was unattainable. The new action plan has set a revised target of 2045 for the borough achieving net-zero, which is still ahead of national and international targets.

The Council emits only 0.4% of the boroughs emissions, and as such the 2025 CEE Action Plan changes our view outwards and focuses on the changes we need to see across our communities to effectively deal with climate change and create a healthy, resilient borough. The actions are centred around 7 key focus areas: