Climate change - achievements
What we have achieved so far - by theme
Biodiversity
We have:
- Planted six Tiny Forests in 2021 and planted 9,318 trees in 2021 - 2022
- Launched the first residents’ free tree scheme in 2022, resulting in 23,000 trees planted by residents and community groups. This scheme has run every year since the launch with an increase in 2025, with the offering of 35,000 trees
- Established our green space volunteer group, who continue to help the biodiversity on our land
- Supported the Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland Local Nature Recovery Strategy
- Signed the Leicestershire Climate and Nature Pact
- Installed 20 bird boxes and 10 bat boxes across the borough’s parks and cemetery, In March 2025. In addition to this there has been the installation of five bug hotels at Castle Car Park and Hollycroft Park
Strategy alignment: 'Biodiversity – protect, celebrate, increase and enhance biodiversity; increase tree canopy; enhance green infrastructure'
Buildings and land (including planning and energy on council estate)
We have:
- Granted permission for three largescale solar farms
- Moved the council’s energy supply to a green tariff
- Secured funding for green technology. For example: low carbon/energy efficiency upgrades on estate and/or partner buildings
- Installed more than 700 solar panels on the Leisure Centre in February 2025. The new solar panels are expected to reduce over 52,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide in the first year
Strategy alignment: 'Buildings and land – reduce energy demand, switch to renewables, use planning to support low carbon development'
Community (residents, schools, parishes, forums, events)
We have:
- Delivered schools’ carbon footprint workshops to over 160 students
- Created a parish and town council net zero toolkit: Green Living Leicestershire partnership
- Established the council’s Business Climate Forum
- Ensured all event vendors are now local
- Introduced a carbon/green accreditation scheme for event organisers
- Launched the Council Tenant Garden Competition in 2024 which encourages gardening and the wellbeing benefits of spending time outdoors and tending to a garden no matter how small, a competition that also benefits our environment
- Started promoting a circular economy with uniform and coat swap shops
Strategy alignment: 'Community – inform, engage and empower residents, schools, parishes and groups to act on climate and nature'
Economy (business engagement, local supply chains)
We have:
- Established the Business Climate Forum. This supports local enterprises to reduce emissions
- Ensured that all event vendors are now local
Strategy alignment: 'Economy – enable businesses to transition, build local low carbon supply chains and green skills'
Travel (transport, fleets, EVs, taxi policy)
We have:
- Installed electric vehicle charging points across the borough
- Five electric vehicles within the council’s fleet
- Moved the majority of fleet and grounds maintenance machinery to HVO (2023), lowering emissions by up to 90%. The use of HVO reduced fleet CO2 emissions by 858.1 Tonnes in 2025 when compared to using diesel
- Introduced a new taxi licensing policy (November 2022) requiring all taxis to be low emission by December 2030
Strategy alignment: 'Travel – decarbonise council fleet, enable EV uptake, and reduce transport emissions'
Waste and pollution (waste reduction, recycling, air quality)
We have:
- Developed and adopted the Leicestershire Waste & Resource Strategy 2022 – 2050
- Introduced new events recycling bins with clear labelling (summer 2023) and parks recycling bins upgraded (2022)
- Reduced air quality complaints regarding smoke emissions since 2022
- Introduced food waste collection service for trade customers in April 2025. This includes food waste collection from the Hub, Jubilee and Atkins Building. We are required to separately collect food waste from these three premises
- Strategy alignment: 'Waste and pollution – cut waste, improve resource use and manage air quality'
Cross-cutting and governance enablers (support multiple themes)
We have:
- Provided carbon literacy training for staff
- Established a cross-party member working group, chaired by an Executive member
- Incorporated a climate change strategy into the council’s corporate plan
- Signed the Leicestershire Net Zero Pledge
They underpin delivery of every theme in the strategy (governance and finance)
Last updated: 29/01/2026 17:41
