A new interactive Climate Change Toolkit has been launched in the borough aiming to help residents and communities understand how they can take action to tackle climate change.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has launched the toolkit as part of their climate change work, to coincide with the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
Providing tips and advice on a range of topics, the toolkit will help people start with some easy changes, progressing on to guidance on making a really big difference. It is an interactive and evolving tool and will be updated regularly to make sure that it contains the latest information. Residents and community groups are encouraged to give the council feedback on information they would like to see included in the future.
The council declared a Climate Emergency in September 2019 and adopted its Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy in March 2021. This strategy identified six themes to tackle climate change including ‘Action for All’. It is hoped that this toolkit will help people in the borough take action to reduce their environmental impact.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Natural Environment and Climate Improvement Cllr Mark Ruffell said: “Climate change, as a result of human activity, remains arguably the greatest threat to our world. Significant impacts are also expected locally in Basingstoke and Deane through increased summer temperatures and more extreme weather events with increased peak rainfall. However we can all take action to reduce our impact on the climate.
“The Climate Change Toolkit is a fantastic way for everyone to understand what they can do to make a difference. Many of the actions in the toolkit bring wider benefits too, such as saving money and improving our health.
“I would encourage everyone to have a look and see what actions they can take to help the borough reach its climate change targets.”
The toolkit is on the council’s website at https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/climate. People are being encouraged to give feedback on the toolkit by emailing climatechange@basingstoke.gov.uk.