02/06/2026
đ° Council moves to axe âclimate emergencyâ and will begin review into âgreenâ projects
đ˘ Climate emergency declaration ready to be scrapped
đ˘ All net-zero schemes facing immediate review
đ˘ ÂŁ175,000 annual saving already identified on electricity costs
Suffolk County Council plans to scrap its climate emergency declaration and overhaul environmental spending, putting common sense and value for money first.
The declaration made under the previous administration in March 2019, looks set to be formally reversed at the next full council meeting on 16 July 2026.
Alongside this, the councilâs new administration will launch an immediate, council-wide audit of all environmental projects.
Schemes will be expected to demonstrate clear benefits, practical outcomes, or real savings in order to continue. Any that donât could be stopped, with money reinvested elsewhere.
Data and projections also show that the councilâs targets to be ânet zeroâ by 2030 are many years away from being achieved, if at all.
Early action has already identified an annual saving of up to ÂŁ175,000 by switching the councilâs electricity tariff to a cheaper one - ending a costly â100% renewableâ premium which the council currently pays.
Councillor Michael Hadwen, leader of Suffolk County Council said:
âOur job is simple - spend Suffolk taxpayersâ money wisely and deliver real results for our residents.
âWhat weâve inherited is a catalogue of expensive, headline-grabbing environmental schemes that need to stand up to proper and rigorous scrutiny if theyâre going to continue.
âSuffolk has fantastic landscapes, strong farming roots and outstanding local food. Thatâs our real environment and I want to make sure we look after it properly and improve it where we can.
âWe are simply taking a common-sense approach - backing practical measures that work, while cutting waste, unnecessary costs and superficial gesture schemes.
âPaying an extra ÂŁ175,000 a year just to sit on a âgreenâ tariff is a perfect example of virtue signalling at taxpayersâ expense. Weâre ending that as soon as possible.
âIn under two weeks of our leadership, weâve already found significant savings. This is just the start. Every pound we save is a pound we can reinvest in frontline services and the priorities that matter most to Suffolk people.â
