With less than a month until COP26 begins, activities across West Sussex are picking up pace.

We've teamed up with South Downs Bikes to give you the chance to win a £500 voucher. To enter, simply follow us on Facebook and tell us how you are being healthier and greener with your travel decisions by replying to our competition post.

Sussex Wildlife Trust is holding an evening webinar tonight (7 October) entitled 'What do we need COP26 to be?" with a number of students taking part in school climate initiatives. Register here to participate.

The Together for Our Planet campaign is offering up to £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to help communities take action on climate change. Projects could cover an area like food, transport, energy, waste and consumption or the natural environment. You do not need to be an expert to apply, as the fund are particularly interested to hear from people starting to think about taking action on climate change in their communities. Applications close on 18 November 2021.

Many of us will see an increase in our energy bills this winter due to a rise in the wholesale cost of gas, which is used to heat homes and generate some of our electricity.

This has affected the energy suppliers who have withdrawn their cheaper, fixed energy tariffs, making it difficult to switch to a good deal when your current tariff ends. Although it’s difficult to influence the price we pay for our energy, we are in control of how much we use, which in turn helps to reduce our carbon footprint.

The Energy Saving Trust website has a good introduction to the simple, low-cost ways to reduce home energy consumption. It includes savings estimates and links to other resources if you want to learn more about making your home more energy efficient.

Advice and support is available if you or someone you know is worried about their energy costs this winter.

The West Sussex Affordable Energy website has details of home energy advisors, heating and insulation grants and other support within your district or borough council area.

The Citizens Advice West Sussex Energy Advice Service is a good place to start if you are worried about your energy costs and want advice on local and national financial support, dealing with energy debt and making your home more energy efficient.

Residents who are on a low income and vulnerable to the cold could also be eligible for support through the council-endorsed Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) scheme.

By meeting the broad eligibility criteria you can qualify for a free home visit, energy saving advice and energy saving measures, such as LED light bulbs and draft proofing. LEAP advisors can also help you to access other support, such as grants for central heating if you don’t already have it, a replacement scheme for white goods and help to repair or replace a broken or condemned boiler.

To celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative has been created, inviting people from across the UK to plant a tree for the jubilee.

Most trees are likely be planted on private land, but as we are already getting requests for tree planting on WSCC managed spaces, we thought we’d explain how this works.

Here are the three options available to plant trees on county council land:

• WSCC Funded Trees – The council plants trees as part of its routine tree management programme. They are usually replacements for trees that have been removed due to disease or safety concerns.

Residents can suggest sites where they would like a tree planted and those locations will be considered as trees are replaced.  To make a request use this link and complete the ‘report a problem with a road or pavement’ form.

• Donate-a-Tree – Residents, district or borough councils, parish & town councils or local groups and organisations can pay a fixed contribution - currently £200 – and WSCC will, subject to a site assessment, plant and maintain a tree at the requested location. The contribution does not cover the full cost of supplying, planting, and future maintenance of a new highway tree; these additional costs are funded by WSCC. Donate-a-tree must be applied for online.

• Planting Licence – As a tree is a long term investment, only parish & town councils and district or borough councils can apply for a licence to plant and maintain a tree on WSCC managed spaces. To apply follow this link.

As we approach COP26 there is an increasing amount of support available to help local businesses take practical steps to reduce their carbon footprint and demonstrate how this can drive business growth. Join the Coastal West Sussex Partnership and invited experts to explore what more you can do to reduce your business’ environmental impact and capitalise on rapidly growing markets for low carbon, green solutions.

Coastal West Sussex are holding a webinar: The Race to Net Zero – ways your business can help and prosper on Friday 22 October, 11am-12 noon via Zoom.

The panel of experts will include:

• Andrew Griffith MP, Arundel and South Downs: UK’s Net Zero Business Champion
• Steve Read, Director of Environment and Public Protection, WSCC
• Sam Zindel, MD of Propellernet: Founder, Low Carbon Leaders
• Zoe Osmond, Director, Clean Growth UK

Click here to register.

We've had an amazing response to our Solar Together Sussex scheme which shows that many of you have a growing interest in generating and using clean energy at home.

This autumn, approximately 7,000 households registered for the council-supported scheme which helps local people to install solar panels and battery systems. This is an increase of a thousand registrations compared to the previous round in 2020.

The scheme uses a group buying approach to provide high quality solar and battery installations at a competitive price. The residents will receive a personalised offer from an accredited installer setting out the cost and specifications, which they can choose to accept without obligation.

Solar Together Sussex is a partnership between councils across West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton and Hove. It is co-ordinated by the West Sussex County Council Energy Services Team working with iChoosr, who are experts in group buying.

Winter opening hours at all 11 of our Recycling Centres are now in place with centres open from 9am - 4pm until 31 March 2022.

Most sites continue to open on the same days with the exception of Burgess Hill, Chichester, Worthing, and Crawley which open for six days a week during the winter months.

Chichester will close on Tuesdays and Burgess Hill, Worthing, and Crawley will close on Thursdays. Horsham will close on Tuesday and Wednesday each week.

Online pre-booking remains in place for Recycling Centres in Bognor Regis, Crawley, Horsham, Littlehampton, Shoreham-by-Sea and Worthing.

Householders who drive a commercial-type vehicle should obtain a free permit before arriving.

More information www.westsussex.gov.uk/recycling 

• Impressive carbon-saving and cost-saving results have been achieved in a programme of 31 footway resurfacing schemes in West Sussex. 
• Waxcap and other fungi are a great indicator of rare species-rich grassland. Help to pinpoint these areas under threat from disruptive intense farming methods by taking part in the Plantlife - Waxcap Watch survey.
• Plantlife is also holding a series of “Fall into Nature” events during October including discussion, plant identification and other training opportunities and a chance to connect with nature and explore conservation through art.
• The United Nations World Food Day takes place on 16 October. It promotes worldwide awareness and calls for action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure healthy diets for all. Children aged between 5-19, can enter the World Food Day Poster Contest to create a poster of a food journey. Entry closes on 5 November. 
  
• Win family days out, signed copies of books and much more in the Action in Rural Sussex photography competition. 

Consultations

• The West Sussex Draft Transport Plan public consultation closes this week, at midnight Friday 8 October. Read the background documents and take part in the survey to help shape the future for the next generation.