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Climate Emergency Scorecards Assessment

Climate Emergency UK is a not-for-profit, community interest company, founded in 2019, that provides resources, data, and tools to support councils and residents in taking action on the climate and ecological emergency at a local level. They achieve this by assessing council climate plans and action through their Council Climate Action Scorecards, educating campaigners and local authorities, and advocating for stronger policies and funding for local climate initiatives.

Their Climate Scorecards Assessment process ranks Local Authorities in relation to their efforts to address the climate emergency. It involves marking authorities against a variety of questions, depending on Authority type, across 7 different sections. Councils are given an opportunity to appeal these scores before they undergo a final audit. 

The third Climate Scorecard assessment (2025) results were released and can be viewed at: https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/.

Summary results: 

The highest scoring District Councils were Lancaster, Winchester and Oxford who scored 63-69%. 

St Albans City and District Council came 29th place (out of 164 District Councils) with a total score of 45%. 

This is: 
•    An increase of 10 ppt on the previous year’s mark
•    Above average for District Councils (37%)
•    Higher than any other Hertfordshire District Council
•    Puts SADC in the top 18% of all District Councils.

We scored above average in all sections with the exception of Planning & Land Use, and Transport. 
•    Buildings & Heating 58% (average 48%)
•    Transport 15% (average 15%)
•    Planning & Land Use 23% (average 28%) 
•    Governance & Finance 53% (average 31%) 
•    Biodiversity 41% (average 28%)
•    Collaboration & Engagement 62% (average 46%)
•    Waste Reduction & Food 64% (average 34%)

We are now reviewing opportunities to improve the delivery of our climate actions, and our scorecard results in 2026. 

Links to Evidence for 2026 Assessment

Governance and Finance

  1. Corporate Plan - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Council%20Plan%202026-2028%20Final%20for%20website.pdf
  2. Council Climate Risk Registers - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sustainable-council (see section Climate Change Adaptation)
  3. Council Greenhouse Gas Reporting - Full corporate emissions report can be found here (see section 1, Where we are now). 
  4. Area-wide Carbon Dioxide Emissions - Summary report can be found here (see section 2, Where we are now). Latest data (2023) shows a 17% reduction compared to 2019.
  5. Decision Making - Sustainability Impacts Assessments must be undertaken for all purchases over £25,000, new policies, projects or those requiring Leadership Team approval. These are reviewed by the Sustainability Projects Officer and signed off by the Manager. Report authors for Council Meetings are required to consider the need for a SIA and include the Summary Statement from the SIA into the Environmental Sustainability Implications of Council and Committee Papers to ensure it is considered in the decision making process. There are some exceptions, for example staffing and software. 
  6. Sustainable Procurement Policy - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sustainable-council (see Sustainable Procurement). A sustainability section is included to the Council Invitation to Tender (ITT) Template (not in the public domain) which requires suppliers submitting tenders to provide information as to how they will contribute to the delivery of the Sustainability and Climate Crisis Strategy, meeting or exceeding our own policies and to demonstrate the steps taken to design the service so as to ensure (where appropriate): environmental compliance, minimisation of resource use, provision of goods meeting high environmental performance, climate mitigation (including decarbonisation of buildings and fleet and utilisation of clean energy), climate adaptation, reduction of waste (referencing the waste hierarchy), prevention of pollution and protection of nature. There are general overarching clauses as well as more specific clauses on each environmental impact. This section is worth a minimum of 5%. Whilst the ITT Template is not in the public domain, the sustainability section can be provided. Contractors over a certain size may be required to provide annual energy and fuel use data from the buildings and transport used in providing services to, or on behalf of the Council, in accordance with any annual greenhouse gas reporting requirements. The Councils Procurement Policy is being updated in 2026 and will include these requirements. 
  7. Climate Change Leadership - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/councillor-paul-de-kort-re-elected-leader-st-albans-city-and-district-council 
  8. Income from Property Development -  We have raised S106 income from property development for use on ecological and climate related projects specifically from Planning applications 5/2022/2748, 5/2018/1260, 5/2021/2730, 5/2024/0245, 0442, 0443. 
  9. Community Municipal Investment and Bonds - Nil
  10. Income Raised for Climate Actions - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/st-albans-city-and-district-council-wins-ps300000-grant-project-improve-environment
  11. Motion in Support of Fossil Fuel Divestment - n/a  11a Pension Fund Commitment to Divesting from Fossil Fuels - https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/herts-pension-fund/docs/investment-strategy-statement-appendix-a-responsible-investment-policy.pdf  states that "the Fund is aligned with the UK Government’s target of aiming to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 or sooner. The Fund will monitor its transition journey and will periodically review the appropriateness of its net zero target."
  12. Direct investments in Carbon Intensive Industries - Nil investments.   

Collaboration and Engagement

  1. Climate and Sustainability Webpages - link in one click from Council homepage showing wide range of things people can reduce impacts and emissions. Main Climate Change page contains lots of information and links, as do the links in the Sustainability and Climate Change Menu Page. https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/climate-change, how to make your home energy efficient and how to reduce your bills,  how to generate your own renewable energy, how to garden sustainably for nature, information on walking, cycling and local transport schemes, information on growing food and choosing sustainable food , information on saving water and reducing waste.
  2. Climate and Sustainability Strategy - The strategy homepage is here. Smart targets are shown in the background monitoring spreadsheets rather than the main document which provides overview of aims and objectives. Sustainability Strategy Tracker Spreadsheets are published quarterly (Jan 2026 and next in April 2026)
  3. Progress Reports - Produced annually The most recent report is now available on this page covering period 2025/26. 
  4. Sharing Best Practice - We are members of UK100. We took part in the LGA Peer Challenge to understand where we can perform better.  Herts Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership (HCCSP), to which we are part, have produced a case study on our county-wide retrofit work.  
  5. Resident Engagement - Information on how people can get involved an input in the strategy and overall sustainability is here. Residents invited to participate in Sustainability and Climate Advisory Forum meeting (select SCAF section) and St Albans Greener Together. A wide variety of workshops and community panels held in 2024-2025 these are recorded and available here. We have a wide range of Friends Groups which we support to give a voice to all users of our green spaces -  https://stalbanstimes.co.uk/st-albans/verulamium-park-community-initiative-launches, http://www.friendsofthewick.org.uk/?i=1, https://bernardsheath.org/?cat=65. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed as part of the approvals process for the strategy and was repeated again in March 2026 as part of the annual review. This identified older people, those on a low income, those with disabilities, or those living in inefficient housing or areas prone to flooding, to be most at risk. We work with communities vulnerable to flooding, and are engaging with the St Albans District Access Forum (SADAF), Faith and Culture Enterprise (FACE) and attend Age Friendly events to engage communities most at risk from impacts of climate change or related policies. 
  6. Funding for environmental action - St Albans Greener Together Net Zero Fund and also detailed here. 
  7. N/A
  8. Culture and Arts -  Our Museums Team are active members of Museums Development England (MDE), Roots and Branches programme which is a network of museums focused on increasing carbon literacy and incorporating sustainability improvements and improving resilience across member Museums. As a result of the Carbon Literacy Training and the MDE network discussions, our Museums now incorporate a range of actions to their exhibition checklist and evaluation process, which reduce environmental impacts (e.g. reusing materials). The Museums team have joined this partnership to learn and explore how to safely reduce energy consumption of heating and cooling systems, whilst protecting fragile exhibits. The Museums team also attended this conference on Climate Resilience organised by the National Museum Directors’ Council, Fit for the Future Network, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, the V&A, the Cultural Sector FM Hub and hosted at the British Library. We are also hoping to join a follow up online meeting in June. 
  9. Schools and Young People - We attend and share news with Sustainable St Albans Sustainable Schools Network, share information with HCC for them to distribute to schools via their Sustainability Guide for Schools in Hertfordshire and their intranet system for schools and Herts Sustainable Schools Network Forum. Links to workshops and the above resources are promoted via our Get Involved page.
  10. Business Engagement - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/business-support-services and working with our own contractors to encourage decarbonisation https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sustainable-council (supplier emissions reporting section and sustainable procurement section) 
  11. High Carbon Advertising - Council Motion and Policy has been written and will go to July 2026 Council Meeting which is the next available opportunity.

Buildings and Heating

  1. Retrofit of Council Buildings - https://historicengland.org.uk/research/heritage-counts/2019-carbon-in-built-environment/case-studies/st-albans-museum-and-gallery/, https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/energy-and-buildings-our-actions, https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/council-gains-ps173000-grant-make-major-leisure-centre-more-energy-efficient, https://stalbans.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s50075721/Non-HRA%20Decarbonisation%20Update%20Report.pdf . Decarbonise Council Buildings - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Final%20St%20Albans%20Sustainability%20Strategy%202024-27%20v2.pdf - Target to decarbonise all Council-operated built assets. We will reduce carbon emissions from all our buildings by improving the building fabric, increasing energy efficiency, decarbonising the heating systems and generating our own electricity".
  2. Renewable Energy Supply - FOI
  3. EPC Ratings - FOI
  4. Retrofit all Council Homes - We have a target to retrofit all Council homes to EPC C but this has not been costed as a whole. 
  5. Retrofit Partnerships - Hertfordshire authorities have worked together to create the first Local Area Retrofit Accelerator (LARA), an ambitious programme funded by the MCS Foundation to co-create a local retrofit strategy through intensive, hands-on collaboration. Between Oct 2024 and Jan 2025, over 50 organisations came together to shape a shared vision for retrofit across the county – including councils, housing providers, colleges, businesses, and community groups. This led to the development of a Hertfordshire Retrofit Strategy and a shared commitment to Retrofit. The strategy contains a clear objective to "Strengthen the local supply chain by boosting skills, quality assurance, and contractor capacity". A Retrofit Steering Group has been established and funding has been committed from all Districts and Boroughs.  
  6. Staffing - FOI
  7. EPC Ratings - National Data
  8. MEES - FOI
  9. Home Energy Advice - Tailored support provided to all residents via St Albans Home Energy Support Service https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/energy-efficiency there is also advice on how to check tradespersons. 
  10. Home Energy Funding - all sources of funding including Warm Homes Grant are listed on the Energy Efficiency page. 
  11. Bulk Purchasing Renewables - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/renewable-energy 
  12. Community Energy - Please see the Community Energy section of our website here. Alban Community Energy was established as a result of Council-led engagement with the community (https://stalbansgreenertogether.org/event/community-energy-in-st-albans-district/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsfPuWlJAdw) and community funding that we provided to Community Energy Pathways to support this work via St Albans Greener Together Funding.

Biodiversity

  1. Peat-Free Policy - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/nature-biodiversity 
  2. Pesticide Use -  https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/nature-biodiversity  Minor use on sports pitches only and we have a committment towards ongoing reduction and/or elimination. 
  3. Reduced Mowing and Meadow Creation - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/thousands-new-trees-be-planted-verulamium-park-extensive-new-wildflower-meadows-be-created, https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/natural-environment-biodiversity-our-actions 
  4. n/a
  5. Tree Cover Target - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Tree%20Policy%20and%20Action%20Plan%202024%20-%202029.pdf
  6. n/a
  7. Green Flag Status - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/four-2025-green-flag-awards-outstanding-parks-and-open-spaces. An additional application has been submitted which will be marked in June 2026. 
  8. Planning Ecologist - FOI
  9. Biodiversity Net Gain - No. Draft NPPF stipulates that Councils are not permitted to do this. A small number of authorities have been able to approve such policies in advance of this restriction being put in place.    
  10. Green Space Factor -  No. We require high standards for green spaces but we don’t use Urban Greening Factor. Primarily London Authorities use this. 

 

Planning and Land Use

  1. Local Plan Strategic Climate Aim - Examination Documents | St Albans City and District Council 
  2. Efficiency of New Builds Commitment - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Final%20St%20Albans%20Sustainability%20Strategy%202024-27%20v2.pdf (Page 8), https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sustainability-and-climate-crisis-strategy (Progress Tracker, Energy and Buildings page) Action EB-1.5: Ensure all new Council-led developments aim to meet the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets as a minimum and take account of both operational and embodied carbon.", Housing Strategy - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Housing%20Strategy%202023-26.pdf
  3. Going beyond Part L in Planning Policy for energy efficiency, for fabric first approach and to be operationally net zero - Based on current UK government policy and recent court rulings, local councils in England are restricted in their ability to demand energy efficiency standards that go beyond the national Building Regulations Part L, particularly for new homes.The government intervention stops councils from using local planning policies to mandate, for example, Passivhaus planning tools (PHPP) or specific embodied carbon standards that exceed national regulations.Prior to the 2023 WMS, some councils, such as Bath and North East Somerset, had tried to implement stricter local standards, but the new guidance restricts this practice. 
  4. Life Cycle Carbon Assessments - Nil (as per Q3) Embodied Emissions - Nil (as per Q3)
  5. Water Efficiency - Yes we do set higher levels of water efficiency for new homes: Examination Documents | St Albans City and District Council 
  6. Minimum Parking Restrictions -  "In locations within 400 metres walking distance of public car parks in the city, town, district and local centres set out in Chapter 6 of the Local Plan; for developments within Use Classes E, F.1, F.2, C1 (hotels only), and food and drink and entertainment uses which are proportionate to the size of the centre, on-site car parking provision will not normally be required. This is to support commercial development in central locations. In such locations on-site cycle parking will not normally be required, but where the Centre has an identified deficiency in high-quality cycle parking provision contributions may be sought to support improvements to cycle parking provision in the Centre".
  7. 15/20 Minute Neighbourhoods - Nil
  8. Building in the Functional Flood Plain - National Policy does not allow us to refuse development in the functional floodplain if it meets the Sequential and Exception test.
  9. Renewable Obligation - We require a minimum level of on-site generation for some specific allocations but not all. To introduce such a policy would require significant evidence gathering that small District Councils do not have the resources to gather.  
  10. Renewable Energy Developments - we have an allocated an area in Hemel Central but this is required through Key Development Requirements, not through a map - "H3 - Exceptional environmental opportunities provided by this scale of employment development for large scale solar power generation; including on all rooftops and as appropriate on car parking, lorry parking etc". Planning Applications for Renewables - none though we have a few solar development applications in review. 
     

Transport

  1. Council Fleet - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/transport-and-air-quality-our-actions, https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/parking-services-team-go-all-electric-cut-emissions. We only have 2 other fleet vehicles owned and managed by the Council and we have stated our commitment to replace them with electric vehicles at the end of their working life and/or before 2030.
  2. Public Shared Transport Schemes - 1) Car Club 2) Shopmobility (grant provided by Council) 3) Cargo Bike acialble for use by local community groups and people (funding provided by Council) 4) Van Hire Car Club  5) Harpenden Hopper Community Bus Service (Grant given to Harpenden Hopper Community Bus Service).
  3. EV Charging - See National Data
  4. n/a
  5. n/a
  6. n/a
  7. n/a
  8. n/a
  9. n/a
  10. n/a
  11. High carbon transport project - Nil
  12. Air Quality - See National Data

Waste Reduction and Food

  1. Sustainable Event Policies - Our Sustainable Markets and Events Policy and Single Use Plastic Policy, are on this page. We also have sections on our website dedicated to providing sustainability guidance to event hosts using our land and to vendors and visitors. More information also here. 
  2. Circular Economy - https://stalbansgreenertogether.org/community-fund/ - Net Zero funding provided to The Green House, Soil Squad, Jefferson Eco, and Sustainable St Albans, Herts Disability Sports Foundation for circular economy projects including repair workshops, library of things, bike reuse and repair, recycling stations, circular economy education and composting. Council Community fund given to Jefferson Eco for repair workshops in 2024/25 -  https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Community%20Project%20Fund%202024-25%20grant%20recipients.pdf 
  3. Redistribute Surplus Food - The St Albans Museum's Courtyard Cafe (the only food outlet managed by the Council) is listed as a business on the Too Good to Go website and offers surplus food as it becomes available.  
  4. Sustainable Food Strategy - Work is underway across the County to consult with community stakeholders to gather ideas for how we might create a healthy, fair and resilient local food system. A survey has been undertaken, and this will be followed by a series of workshops, to get as many perspectives as possible. This is part of a developing food partnership and project partners are starting to be listed here. This work will be likely to lead to the development of a formal country-wide food partnership and strategy. 
  5. Food Growing - 1.Community Right to Grow https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-right-to-grow, 2. Foodsmiles www.foodsmilesstalbans.org.uk/p/join-us.html (established with support from the Council), 2. Incredible Edibles (established with support from the Council), 4. Grow Sopwell (supported by Council). 5. Grow Chiswell Green (supported by the Council in 2022)
  6. Kerbside Food Waste - Collected from all homes and flats weekly - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/about-my-bins
  7. Annual Recycling Rate - National Data
  8. Household Waste Production - National Data