Are the council's operations powered by renewable energy?
Is the council transitioning their vehicle fleet to electric?
Out of 392 vehicles, (including vehicles over 3.5t) 21 are now electric vehicles (EVs). Barriers to EV uptake include
- EV charger connection (cost and timeline)
- charging availability
- upfront cost
- turnover timing
- nature of vehicles e.g. blue light
- those above a certain tonnage.
Is the council committed to making 20mph the standard speed limit for most restricted roads?
Has the council taken clear steps to support active travel?
According to the council's own reporting, have the council's own greenhouse gas emissions reduced since 2019?
We actively track and measure our sustainability progress and share results openly - so our community can see real impact and hold us accountable.
The council’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have reduced by 43% (2025-26) since first measured in 2018-19. Reductions in GHGs are from:
- building decarbonisation
- sale of buildings
- LEDs on all our streetlights
- part of our fleet moving to electric alternatives.
We regularly report to Cabinet Panel on our carbon reductions. The latest data is:
Our annual carbon emissions
| Year | tCO2e emitted | % CO2e reduced |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
17,801
|
0
|
|---|
| 2019-20 |
16,483
|
7
|
|---|
| 2020-21 |
13,771
|
23
|
|---|
| 2021-22 |
12,234
|
31
|
|---|
| 2022-23 |
11,010
|
38
|
|---|
| 2023-24 |
11,027
|
38
|
|---|
| 2024-25 |
10,671
|
40
|
|---|
| 2025-26 |
10,094
|
43
|
|---|
All projects that need to be approved by Cabinet within the council, use our Sustainability and Equality Evaluation Decision Support (SEEDS) tool.
SEEDS is a key part of our sustainability and resilience strategy, helping teams embed climate-conscious decision-making into everyday work.
SEEDS aims to support cross-cutting decision making from the earliest possible opportunity, focused around 6 question areas:
- Biodiversity and Environment
- Built Environment
- Equality and Diversity
- Healthy Places
- • Waste, emissions and procurement
- • Movement.
The framework enables officers and elected members to take a holistic approach to decision-making, incorporating guidance, links, and an automatically generated RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rated report which can be attached to any panel paper or department report.
SEEDS is mandatory for all Cabinet panel decisions, and we are continuing to expand the use across all department for all relevant projects, strategies and programmes for all business-as-usual decision making within departments.
Does the councils' procurement policy require tenders to take action to reduce waste, carbon emissions or other environmental actions?
Have all senior management and councillors in the cabinet or committee chairs received climate awareness training?
Climate Awareness Training at Hertfordshire County Council
Since 2023, Hertfordshire County Council has delivered a comprehensive Climate Awareness Training programme to build understanding, capability, and confidence in responding to climate change. The training is open to all staff and supports colleagues at every level of the organisation to take informed, meaningful action.
At the core of the programme is our Carbon Literacy training, which provides a shared, evidence based understanding of climate change. In addition, we deliver bespoke learning designed for specific audiences and functions.
Senior Leaders have completed tailored climate awareness training, ensuring leadership across the organisation has the knowledge and skills needed to make informed, strategic decisions.
Cabinet Members and targeted teams also receive bespoke sessions aligned to their roles and responsibilities.
This approach ensures climate awareness is embedded across the Council, from operational delivery to strategic leadership.
What the learning covers
Our climate awareness training explores:
- The science behind climate change
Understanding the causes, impacts, and urgency of climate change, with relevance to Hertfordshire and local government.
- Social equity and climate change
How climate change affects communities differently, and why fairness and inclusion are essential to effective climate action.
- What you can do to act on climate change
Practical actions individuals and teams can take in their roles to reduce emissions and support sustainability.
- Communicating climate action
Strategies and skills for talking confidently about climate change, influencing others, and supporting behaviour change.
- Sustainability and adaptation
How mitigation and adaptation work together to build resilience and respond to climate impacts that are already being felt.
A tailored approach across the organisation
We recognise that different levels of the organisation benefit from a slightly different focus. Our training is therefore adaptable:
- All staff gain a shared baseline understanding and practical actions
- Managers and teams explore how climate change relates to service delivery
- Senior Leaders focus on strategic decision making, leadership, and organisational influence.
This ensures learning is relevant, practical, and aligned to people’s roles and influence within the Council.
Has the council published an up to date and easy-to-read annual report on their Climate Action Plan?
Does the council have an ongoing way for residents to influence the implementation of the council's Climate Action Plan?
Does the council's ongoing engagement with residents include those most affected by climate change and climate action policy?
The Sustainable Hertfordshire strategy and programme plan were both accompanied by an Equalities Impact Assessment. The delivery of the strategy does include community engagement however we don’t collect data specifically relating to those most affected by climate change and climate action policies.
Is the council working in partnership with cultural institutions and organisations to encourage decarbonisation within culture and arts locally?
The council’s partnership working with organisations are carried out in collaboration with events and initiative led by Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership. In collaboration with Public Health, the county council has funded an initiative with Herts Sport Partnership and the FA.
Sustainable Hertfordshire including our strategy and work plan.
Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership
Is the council working in partnership with local businesses to encourage decarbonisation?
Does the council have a sustainable food strategy?