Overview
Climate change, and the way it affects the world around us, is one of the biggest challenges we all face today. People’s impact on global warming is well known, and there is growing pressure on the Government to act more quickly and decisively
In 2019, Somerset County Council and the four district councils (Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, and South Somerset) declared climate emergencies. They agreed to work together on a shared Climate Emergency Strategy, which was published in November 2020.
Following local government reorganisation, a single Unitary Authority for Somerset was formed in April 2023, and the Climate Strategy goals and ambitions transferred across to the new Somerset Council.
In summer 2023, Somerset Council declared an ecological emergency. This shows our commitment to protecting and improving nature and wildlife. We also renewed our membership of UK100, which means we recognise our responsibility to tackle the climate emergency and take strong action to become carbon neutral.
In 2025, we developed our Climate and Ecological Vision. It is a ‘call to action’ for residents, partners, businesses and organisations across Somerset. It sets out what taking action on the climate and ecological emergencies could look like, what we want to achieve, and where we want Somerset to be. It also shows how working together can help deliver the changes needed to tackle these emergencies.
The Vision
You can view the Somerset Climate and Ecological Vision here.
