Climate change

What we are doing about climate change

To help limit the impact of climate change, we:

declared a climate change emergency.
are taking all necessary steps to make the Council carbon neutral by 2030 (25% reduction by March 2023 and a 50% reduction by March 2025).
are a champion for a carbon neutral future for South Tyneside. This includes using our advocacy role to influence actions that promote carbon reductions, across all our communities and the region.
asked the Leader and Chief Executive of the Council to write to the government to pass the necessary legislation, and provide the rights and resources needed to deliver our climate change goals.
created a climate change strategy and action plan.
prepare a report for full Council every year, setting out performance against agreed targets and recommending any changes to the published action plan.
make sure that all Council strategic decisions, policies and strategies are in line with the move to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
produced a Green Economic Recovery Plan.

Our pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030 refers to the carbon emissions from:

What we have done to reduce emissions:

Delivering a significant building rationalisation programme
Installed solar panels to a number of Council buildings
Delivered a significant improvement programme of LED upgrades to street lighting, with continued capital investment taking place
Building modernisation and retrofit improvement programmes
Installed Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units at some of our highest consuming sites

We are committed to leading by example and driving investment in a green future.

Our strategy goes beyond our direct carbon emissions.

What we have done to protect our environment and tackle climate change:

Our future plans include:

The Viking Energy Network Jarrow: A renewable energy scheme that will harness low-grade heat from the River Tyne to heat a number of Council buildings
The Hebburn Renewable Energy Scheme: The scheme will use minewater from former coal seams to provide heat to a large leisure facility and a high rise residential block, with future network expansion opportunities
The Holborn Renewable Energy Network: An energy scheme that will aim to generate renewable energy, by using heat from abandoned flooded mines and the River Tyne
The Middlefields Energy Scheme: The scheme will provide on-site renewable electricity energy generation to key Council buildings
The continuation of our phased capital investment programme, focused on upgrading old and inefficient street lights to LEDs
Saltmarsh restoration: A project to recreate rare habitats such as saltmarshes of the River Tyne, working with the Tyne Estuary Partnership
The Healing Nature Project: A project to restore priority habitats in five wildlife sites in the Borough, working with the Durham Wildlife Trust
An awareness and engagement programme to increase understanding of climate change across the Borough, and highlight what can be done to reduce its worst effects