Climate Emergency UK assessed all UK councils on the actions they've taken towards net zero. The Council Climate Action Scorecard assessment consists of 91 questions or fewer, depending on council type, across 7 different sections, created in consultation with over 90 organisations and individuals. Each council was marked against these criteria and given a right to reply before the scores underwent a final audit. This work was completed between January and August 2023.
The good news is that Wirral Council is slightly above the average for single-tier councils - though at a Total Score of 42% well below the top scorers, who are London boroughs at 55-60%.
See the full Climate Action Scorecard results for Wirral Council here:
https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/councils/wirral-council/
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| A summary of Wirral Council's Climate Action Scorecard results |
Wirral Council scored particularly well on Biodiversity and Planning and Land Use. They have a score of 69% for Biodiversity (compared to an average of 27%) and 55% for Planning and Land Use (compared to an average of 35%). The lobbying that Wirral Wildlife and other voluntary groups have done over the last 50 years is having an effect.
A Waste Reduction and Food score of 34% and a Transport score of 20% are low results. However everyone can play a part by thinking about everyday actions.
To reduce waste remember the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We must try and use fewer resources, mend whatever we can, share our good but unwanted items and recycle anything that has got to the end of its life.
For tips on how to mend, recycle, reuse and upcycle see https://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/actions/recycle-and-reuse
Wirral Repair Café can help with repairing items such as clothing and electrical appliances. On the first Sunday of each month they can be found at Wirral Deen Centre, 371-375 Borough Road, Birkenhead, CH42 0HA. Email: wirralrepaircafe@gmail.com
Wirral Repair Café is one of an
international network of repair cafes where volunteers try to fix items,
brought in by members of the public, that would otherwise be thrown away
because they’ve stopped working or (in the case of clothing, can no longer be
worn). The goal is to reduce landfill waste, encourage people to carry out
their own repairs and save them money in the process.
They do not take business away from
professional repairers and will refer the visitor to a professional if it’s
appropriate. However, people are often aware that the cost of repair could be
more than that of replacement, or that the value of the item is too little to
justify the repair cost. Their motto is ‘Bin it? No way’
- Get advice and learn repair skills
- Examples of types of repair: electrical appliances, computer software, bicycles, clothing and textiles, upholstery, toys, costume jewellery, wooden items, musical instruments
- Soldering and sharpening services available
- Free repairs, but donations are welcome
To influence the Food score we can be careful what we eat, reduce food waste and shop and eat to reduce the climate impact of food. Planning meals in advance and using all of the food we buy will reduce waste. We can eat less meat, choose local and seasonal produce or even grow our own vegetables and fruit. If there is anything left over then home composting could be another thing to try – don’t send your waste to landfill.
For composting advice see
https://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/actions/how-compost-your-waste
What about the transport score? If we travel less, walk when we can, cycle or use public transport we can cut our carbon footprint. Of course, the public transport and active travel infrastructure needs to be there and that is something you could lobby about.
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| Wirral Council has a Climate Action Hub |
Wirral has a target to be carbon neutral by 2041. This means that the amount of carbon that we produce compared to what we take out of the atmosphere is balanced. Learn more at the Climate Action Hub:
https://haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk/hub-page/climate-action-wirral
Public and personal action together will help us reach these targets for a more sustainable future on Wirral.
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