Governance & Finance

Criteria met if climate action (alternatively called sustainability or environment) is listed as one of the council's core priorities or equivalent. It must have its own heading or section and a net zero target date must be referenced.

The net zero target date must clearly be an area-wide target, either the UK Government's national target, the devolved nation's target or the council's area-wide net zero target.

Criteria met if climate action (alternatively called sustainability or environment) is listed as one of the council's core priorities or equivalent. It must have its own heading or section and a net zero target date must be referenced.

The net zero target date must clearly be an area-wide target, either the UK Government's national target, the devolved nation's target or the council's area-wide net zero target.

Criteria met if the councils' Corporate or Strategic Risk Register references the impact of climate change to the local area.

There must be an explicit link between climate change and the increased risk of extreme weather events. The Risk Register must link to or reference mitigating actions (such as an adaptation strategy or other actions).

Criteria met if the council is reporting its own emissions and fulfill all of the following:
- The council states whether they are using the Environmental Reporting Guidelines from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the GCoM Common Reporting Framework (CRF), the Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool (from the LGA), the Greenhouse Gas Protocol for Cities (Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories) to develop their inventory.
- The inventory must cover a continuous period of 12 months, either a calendar year or a financial year
- There must be data from at least two different years between or including 2019 and 2023
- The council must be measuring their own scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

Four-tier criteria
First tier criteria met if, using the councils' own reporting mechanisms, there has been a reduction of scope 1 and 2 emissions when comparing 2019 to 2022 (or financial years 2019/20 to 2022/23) data equal to or greater than 5% and lower than 10%.

Second tier criteria met if the emissions reduction has been greater than or equal to 10% and lower than 20%,

Third-tier criteria met if the reduction has been greater than or equal to 20% and lower than 40%.

Fourth-tier criteria met if the emission reduction has been greater than or equal to 40%.

We recognise that there is currently no standard way that all councils use to report on emissions. We will score councils' own calculations, despite the differences, as long as they fulfill the requirements in 3a.

Four-tier criteria
Criteria met if the council has had an emission reduction equal to or greater than 2% from 2019 to 2022.

Additional points awarded if the emission reduction is greater than or equal to 5% and lower than 10%, or further points if the reduction is greater than or equal to 10% or less than 20%. Further points awarded if the emission reduction is equal to or greater than 20%.

Two-tier criteria
First tier criteria met if climate implications are listed or referenced for all council decisions at full council. Climate implications can be considered through Environmental Implications or an Integrated Impact Assessment if this includes a climate or environmental sub-heading or section.

Second tier criteria met if the council is using a detailed impact assessment tool to assess the climate implications of all council decisions.

Criteria met if the council has a stand alone environmental or sustainable procurement policy, or a complete section on Sustainable or Responsible Procurement, Climate Change or Action or something similar within their procurement policy that makes explicit reference to the council's Climate Action Plan and clearly includes an area-wide net zero target date.

Two-tier criteria
First tier criteria met if the council has a mandatory requirement for tenders to do any of the following:
- Demonstrate how they will meet energy efficiency requirements or minimise energy consumption.
- Demonstrate how they will minimise waste in their products and services. This could be through recycled, natural, biodegradable or renewable materials being used, through not using single use plastic or other non-recyclable materials or through ensuring products and services last for as long as possible.

Second tier criteria met if the council's procurement policy includes any of the following:
- The council aims to source low or zero carbon energy wherever possible.
- The council aims to phase out the use of fossil fuels from their council fleet.
- The council references the waste hierarchy in its policy, for example by stating that it encourages the councils to consider if repeat procurement requests are always needed.

Criteria met if the council has a role such as Chair of Environment Committee, Cabinet Member for Environment, Chair of Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee or any title with the words Climate Change, Climate Action, Climate Emergency, Environmental Sustainability, Environment or similar in it.
This role can be merged with another role, such as Environment and Transport.

Three-tier criteria
Criteria met if there are multiple staff members employed on 3 days a week or more to be working on the council's Climate Action Plan or other climate change projects equating to a given % of the overall council staff team.

First tier criteria met if more than or equal to 0.5% but less than 1% of council staff work on implementing a councils' Climate Action Plan or other climate change projects.

Second tier criteria met if more than or equal to 1% but less than 2% of council staff work on implementing a councils' Climate Action Plan or other climate change projects.

Third tier criteria met if more than or equal to 2% of council staff work on implementing a councils' Climate Action Plan or other climate change projects

Criteria met if all senior management and councillors in leadership positions such as cabinet members or committee chairs elected before May 2024 have received climate awareness, Carbon Literacy or equivalent training.

Criteria is met if the council has used either the Community Infrastructure Levy or Section 106 to raise any amount of ring-fenced funds for climate action, explicitly to fund climate action projects, including mitigation, adaptation, ecological and biodiversity restoration or enhancement. The funds must be ring-fenced for climate or ecological projects, created with money from property development.

References to funds covering blue or green infrastructure projects, sustainable drainage, transport or other specific projects listed in an Infrastructure Funding Statement is not valid. A commitment to climate action in Infrastructure Funding Strategies is also not valid.

In Scotland, the criteria is met if the council has used section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for the same purposes as above.
In Northern Ireland, the criteria is met if the council has used section 76 of the 2011 Planning Act for the same purposes as above.

Criteria met if the council has launched a Climate Bond, Community Municipal Investment or equivalent of any amount as a way to raise funds for climate action that the council is delivering.

Criteria is met if the council has raised any amount of funds for climate action through any of the following:
- Energy Service Company
- Successful grants in relation to climate action (including active travel, bus or other public transport improvements, rewilding, waste reduction, or biodiversity and conservation projects)
- Joint Ventures/Special Purpose Vehicles
- Loans (including through Salix Finance or Public Works Loans Board)

Two-tier criteria
First tier criteria met if the council has passed a motion supporting the commitment to divest the council's own assets or investments.

Second tier criteria met if the council has passed a motion supporting the divestment of the council's pension investments, which is an indicative vote in favour of divesting the corresponding pension fund.

Two-tier criteria
First tier criteria met if the pension fund has committed to partially divesting. For example, it has committed to divesting only from coal, tar sands or oil.

Second tier criteria met if the pension fund has committed to divest from all fossil fuels.

Penalty Mark Question
Points deducted if the council has direct investments or shares, of any size, in airports or any carbon intensive industries.

-15% of the maximum possible section score will be deducted if the council has any direct investments.