As part of our commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030, we plan to invest in more solar panels on the Council office roof, cutting both carbon and electricity costs.

The installation is expected to reduce our electricity bill by as much as 25% and save over 20 tons of C0₂ per year.

With the rising cost of energy impacting all organisations as well as individuals and families, we face our electricity bill more than doubling. It is expected that the solar panels could pay for themselves in as little as five to six years.

Money we save on running costs is ploughed back into our wider operations, and this will cut our costs and carbon footprint for years to come.

Read the full story here.

A recent wave of reports make for sobering reading. There's still a lot of action to be taken, and not a lot of time - with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warning that peak carbon needs to be reached by 2025 if we're to limit global warming.

The UK Government also released its British Energy Security Strategy. In the face of the Ukraine invasion Government wants to move quickly to reduce our reliance on oil and gas, but amongst wind and solar they suggest nuclear must be part of the mix.

The report hinted that local communities could benefit from cheaper energy or pots of funding if they 'host' a sustainable energy installation.

Meanwhile, the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan review (open for consultation until 9 May), which includes North Kesteven, sets out a framework for more sustainable energy generation to be considered in Central Lincolnshire in order to meet the plan's carbon neutral aims.

We need everyone in North Kesteven to raise their awareness. When you see climate-related posts on our social media channels, please interact with them to help them be shown to others, thereby spreading the word.

Could you Be More Hilda? That's the call from the team at Mrs Smith's Cottage in Navenby and their celebration of Hilda Smith's sustainable lifestyle.

From April to October 2022 there will be a series of workshops, talks, walks, and videos exploring everyday skills from Mrs Smith’s life, aiming to help us find ways to live more sustainably today. 

Here are some of the upcoming events:

• Spring Forage: Saturday 14 May, 10am - 12 noon, a guided walk at Hill Holt Wood, tickets £5
• Small Space Gardening: Tuesday 31 May, 3 - 4pm, a talk at Mrs Smith’s Cottage, tickets £5
• Summer Forage: Saturday 25 June, 10am - 12 noon, a guided walk at Hill Holt Wood, tickets £5

Hilda Smith lived in Navenby for most of her life, and lived simply and thriftily, making the most of her resources and avoiding waste wherever she could.

Visit the Cottage website for more details.

Are you planning to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this June? It's going to be a wonderful celebration but it could also be packed full of waste, so we're encouraging more sustainable festivities.

There is already a plethora of plastic and single use items out there, just waiting to tempt you into generating waste while you celebrate. 

Let's get thinking about how we can mark the occasion while reducing our impact on the planet.

• Think about whether an item is recyclable or reusable before you buy it
• Go for paper decorations, masks and hats, not plastic
• Reuse or make your own bunting from unwanted clothes or fabrics, or even knit some
• Encourage people to bring their own plates and glasses to the street party instead of buying paper, plastic or polystyrene disposables
• Repurpose and recycle wherever possible, and ask around before buying new items - someone's shed might be full of festive items!

Please share your low-impact ideas with us at ClimateAction@n-kesteven.gov.uk and we'd love to see pictures of what you create.

More than 160 people came to our Lollycocks Field free open day to help mark the start of the Looking After Lollycocks project. 

Activities onsite included pond-dipping, bug hunting and habitat building as well as chance to speak to the team about the project.

Species found on the day (16 April) included stickleback fish, tadpoles and various other small water creatures such as water boatman and caddisfly larvae in the pond, and birds, beetles, butterflies and more above ground and much native plant-life.

Keep an eye on the project’s progress and volunteering opportunities via our channels and at https://www.hillholtwood.co.uk/looking-after-lollycockscontractor as Hill Holt Wood starts enhancements onsite over the next nine months including a new kingfisher nesting bank and extended boardwalk. Already onsite a new bat box has been put up - the first of the new owl, bat and bird boxes planned to go up there.

The partnership project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund in partnership with South Kesteven District Council and our Council, National Trust and the Environment Agency.