A new climate change consultation has launched, and I wanted you to be one of the first to hear about it.
County, district, and borough councils across West Sussex have worked together to produce draft plans that aim to make West Sussex a greener, more resilient county where people and nature thrive together.
This initiative was a truly collaborative effort across the councils. It was overseen by the West Sussex Joint Climate Change Board and supported by climate specialists City Science.
The consultation runs until Sunday 27 September 2026 and you can read more about it below.
Cllr Natasha Davie
Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change.
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We have produced two draft action plans which focus on the things we believe need to be addressed locally in the coming years. They focus on:
- Climate change mitigation - reducing the amount of carbon produced and released into the atmosphere, e.g. from transport, homes, and businesses
- Climate change adaptation - preparing for the impacts of an increasingly changing climate - such as longer and more frequent heatwaves and more severe flooding.
Our consultation summary document gives an overview of both plans and explains why climate change mitigation and adaptation are both equally important.
The consultation will gather views on the draft plans and help us make sure they are the right fit for local communities.
Proposed actions include supporting energy efficiency improvements to buildings, enabling people to switch to greener travel options such as electric vehicles, encouraging community solar energy projects, and increasing the use of sustainable drainage systems.
You can read the plans and share your views by visiting our engagement hub via the link below.
 If you'd like to help us promote the consultation and encourage people to share their views, you can download and print out this A4 poster. Also, look out for our posts on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor and X, and share and tag your friends.
- West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is urging people to take extra precautions outdoors as the risk of wildfires remains very high across the county. The recent prolonged period of warm, dry weather has left grassland, heathland and woodland areas particularly vulnerable to fire. You can play your part by:
- avoiding the use of disposable barbecues in open spaces
- taking litter home
- extinguishing smoking materials properly
- reporting any signs of fire immediately by calling 999.
- The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund, delivered in partnership with Biffa and 10 local community partners is celebrating significant success and further funding. Launched in 2025, the £50,000 fund supported innovative repair, reuse and waste prevention projects across West Sussex, helping to divert almost 94 tonnes of material from disposal and prevent 208 tonnes of carbon emissions.
If you have any questions, or want to share local climate action stories, email us at climatechange@westsussex.gov.uk.
Join our community of climate champions and add a new map pin to our Community Climate Action Map.
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