Posted on Thursday 9th October 2025
Full council today approved a motion rescinding the Climate Change Emergency agreed by the authority in July 2019.
Staffordshire County Council has confirmed it will dedicate itself to immediate environmental issues rather than pursuing unfunded targets a generation away.
A meeting of the authority’s full council today approved a motion rescinding the Climate Change Emergency agreed by the authority in July 2019.
Instead, the county council will focus on focus on helping businesses reduce energy costs and schemes making an immediate impact.
Andrew Mynors, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Connectivity, said:
The language of ‘Climate Emergency’ and long-term targets for the authority to be ‘Net Zero’ distract the focus from the council’s core priorities on the economy, education, supporting vulnerable residents and ensuring value-for-money service delivery.
We firmly believe that we ought to leave our environment, our countryside, our county in a better place than we found it, and we favour practical energy-saving measures which reduce energy consumption and cut costs at the same time for businesses, consumers and taxpayers.”
The authority’s Business Energy Advice Service is available across the county to help cut costs and it’s benefited scores of businesses from pubs to major employers by assessing their needs free of charge, helping them access grants and reducing both costs and energy consumption.
Successful examples include Stafford Rangers FC, who were able to purchase new LED floodlights which significantly cuts costs and energy use and Lower Drayton Farm – a family attraction in South Staffordshire – which used solar energy to reduce costs in its play barn and café.
The county council now has an additional £1m government funding allocation for the programme following the rapid uptake of energy assessments and strong demand for grant support across Staffordshire.
Andrew Mynors added:
Trying to achieve unfunded targets in 25 years’ time is putting real pressure on the council today and tomorrow.
We have a responsibility to make sure our wonderful environment is protected and enhanced, and this means taking real tangible actions that make a difference immediately.”
The Cabinet will be providing more detail on its Environmental Strategy, and action plan, later this year.