Causeway Coast and Glens Council's climate change strategy approved
Members of a Causeway Coast and Glens Council committee have agreed to adopt the local authority’s Climate Change Action Strategy (CCAS).
The proposal was put forward at February’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, where members were reminded that council declared a climate emergency in 2020 and also has new additional statutory responsibilities under the NI Climate Change Act 2022, with an ambition to reach net zero by 2050.
“A Climate Emergency Forum (CEF) was held on August 20, 2025, to discuss the detail of the proposed strategy,” Council’s Director of Environmental Services, Aidan McPeake, said. “No concerns were raised at the forum.”
“A draft CCAS subsequently went out for public consultation from October to January with a total of 14 responses received.
“Overall, the feedback was broadly aligned with the draft strategy, and no respondents raised issues that would require fundamental changed to council’s approach.”
An accompanying 58-page report outlined several Council functions and objectives within the strategy, including the building and maintaining of low-carbon, climate-resilient places, supporting a green economy by helping local businesses and communities decarbonise and adapt, and delivering cleaner, smarter, and more accessible travel options.
Alliance councillor Lee Kane said preparation of the strategy had been a “huge piece of work” for Council and applauded officers for reaching the adoption stage, but voiced disappointment at the “surprisingly low” consultation response of just 14 people.
UUP councillor Richard Holmes said he was concerned that some of Council’s over-1,000 staff members would pay “lip service” to the strategy, and asked how it would be actioned throughout the borough.
In response, Mr McPeake said Council will endeavour to “embed” the strategy’s objectives into staff’s “everyday working”.
Mr McPeake concluded: “There’s quite a number of actions that involve our staff and how they take on their roles and responsibilities within Council.
“So even from an energy usage point of view, small changes can make a significant difference to the energy that’s used in buildings; changing fuel types within our fleet to HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) and potentially moving to gas or the like.
“All of those are a contribution towards our overall aim of net zero, but it needs buy-in from from all our staff and I’m encouraged by the staff’s willingness to take part in it and try and achieve council’s objectives.”