What we do: Sustainability team

TWBC's Sustainability team are championing climate action across the borough, find out how in this latest What We Do blog post.

At Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, our dedicated Sustainability team has been working tirelessly to drive our climate action initiatives. Despite being a small team, their impact has been substantial.

Key Team Members Henry, our Sustainability Manager, and Jess, our Graduate Climate Change Officer, have been working not just behind the scenes, but with residents across the borough too. The Sustainability team is responsible for driving and delivering against TWBC’s corporate and borough-wide net zero targets. The work we do supports our commitment to our 2019 climate emergency declaration, as well as helping other service areas take action against climate change.

Major Initiatives in 2024

Sustainability Sunday: Our first Sustainability Sunday was held as part of the Literacy Festival in May 2024. This event brought together speakers and activities that promote sustainability.
Emissions Reporting: We updated our emissions reporting procedure, with historical reports recalculated back to 2018/19 alongside our latest 2023/24 report. These reports and our progress reducing corporate emissions can be found on our Reducing the Council’s emissions web page.
Borough Climate Change Strategy: In July, the first draft of our Borough Climate Change Strategy was published for consultation, followed by three months of in-person drop-in sessions and focus groups with residents, community groups, and businesses to gather feedback on the draft strategy.
Corporate Carbon Descent Plan: Also in July, we released our latest Corporate Carbon Descent Plan Action Plan. Our progress and ambitions for the next year can also be found on our Corporate Carbon Descent Plan web page.

Community Engagement

Decarbonisation Works: The Property team completed decarbonisation works on multiple buildings this year, including:
- Solar panels and an air source heat pump installed at the North Farm Depot.
- Solar panels, LED lighting, and an air source heat pump installed at the Weald Leisure Centre.
- Improved insulation, LEDs, and air source heat pumps installed in renovated Crescent Road temporary accommodation properties.
Business Decarbonisation Grant Scheme: With UK Shared Prosperity Funds, we conducted a pilot Business Decarbonisation Grant Scheme, providing funding for eight successful applicants. Recipients embarked on various decarbonisation projects to be completed by the end of January 2025.
Low Carbon Skills Fund: We submitted a successful Low Carbon Skills Fund bid for grant funding to develop a heat decarbonisation plan for Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.
Car Club Expansion: We expanded our car club Co Wheels, adding a ninth car to the fleet in February 2024, located in Hawkenbury. If you need to travel by car sometimes but not all the time, why not consider signing up? You can book for as little as 30 minutes, with no need for insurance, cleaning, or servicing. Just book a car when you need it and drive away!