Our climate change work

What the council are doing to tackle climate change, improve nature and how we can do more together.

Since declaring a climate emergency, the council has taken a number of actions to reduce emissions across the borough. The Council declared a climate emergency on 15 October 2019 and a nature emergency on 18 April 2024.

The climate emergency declaration commits the Council to become carbon neutral in its internal operations and the service it delivers, by 2030, and to work with partners to help achieve this target for the High Peak/Staffordshire Moorlands as a whole.

The nature recovery declaration commits the Council to supporting the recovery of nature across High Peak/Staffordshire Moorlands. The Plan for Nature was adopted on 5 December 2024.

In 2025, the Climate Change and Nature Delivery Plan 2025 (PDF, 875 KB) was finalised to encompass both the climate and the nature recovery declaration.

The Council declared a climate emergency on 15 October 2019
Following the declaration, the Climate Change Plan was developed alongside the results of public engagement in 2021
Established a community Climate and Nature fund to support community groups deliver related projects in 2021
The Council has a Carbon Literate Organisation award.

The Council declared a nature emergency on 18 April 2024 and committed to actions to support its recovery.

The Council published a borough-wide Plan for Nature on 5 December 2024 to support nature recovery - Find out more by visiting our Nature and Biodiversity page.

In 2025 the updated Climate Change and Nature Delivery Plan 2025 (PDF, 875 KB) was developed to reflect the long-established alliance between High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, to reflect corporate priorities and to focus action in the lead up to Local Government Reorganisation.

In 2025 the Joint Climate Change and Nature Steering Group was established. This joint group is to align with both High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands who have a long-established alliance.

The Council compiles and publishes a Climate Change Annual Report, which includes borough-wide emissions along with the operational emissions of the Council.

The Council has hosted community events which brought together a number of interested groups to highlight local issues and share ideas.

We are working with community groups across the borough to mutually support initiatives to decrease the carbon emissions and to develop strategies to enhance biodiversity.

We work with other local authorities across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire on collective climate and nature projects.

We are part of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Climate Network - you can find out more and sign up to newsletters here Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Climate Network - climate action.

Joint Climate Change and Nature Steering Group

The Joint Climate Change and Nature Steering Group brings together members from both High Peak and Staffordshire Moorlands to influence and provide oversight to the Climate and Nature Delivery Plan.

Here you can find information about the group and the latest bulletins, which provides information on the topics and discussions that take place at the steering group meetings.

Find out more