Ashfield Council hits back after being given 0% rating for climate change action

But both authorities have issued statements outlining measures they are taking to address the crisis, with one authority saying it was given the rating because it was updating policies at the time it was assessed.

All councils across the country were graded on their climate action plans last year, with organisation Climate Emergency UK assessing authorities across nine key sectors.

Councils were then given a percentage on how well they are meeting their targets and addressing each individual area.

All Nottinghamshire authorities have now been given their grading, with both Bassetlaw and Ashfield given the lowest-possible 0 per cent mark.

Nottinghamshire Council was graded 20 per cent for its current climate action, half the 40 per cent average for county authorities nationwide.

And most Nottinghamshire district and borough councils were broadly in line with the 43 per cent national average for this time of authority – but Bassetlaw and Ashfield were among 37 authorities nationwide to be given the zero per cent grading.

Mansfield Council was ranked mid-table at 42 per cent.

Updating

Ashfield Council has responded by saying Climate Emergency UK “didn’t score our plan” as it was “in the process of updating” it.

A council spokeswoman said the authority is currently working on three new climate documents which will commit the authority to becoming net-zero ‘in line with Central Government targets’ of 2050.

These documents, the council states, will be ‘available in the near future’, once they have been approved by both the cabinet and full council.

The spokeswoman said: “The council has made considerable progress in reducing its emissions through multiple different projects.

“This includes installing solar PV on many council-owned buildings, switching to a Green Energy tariff, operating smarter working practices in its offices and launching a Climate Change Officer Working Group to drive reductions in emissions.”

She said council emissions have already reduced by 25 per cent since 2015/16.

Bassetlaw said its zero grading is ‘disappointing’ but stated it declared a ‘climate emergency’ in December, about three months after Climate Emergency UK conducted its assessments.

The council was the last of the nine authorities in Nottinghamshire to declare the emergency.

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