Councillors set to consider refocus on sustainability

09 July 2025

West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) Cabinet will next week consider a refocus of the authority’s sustainability work to prioritise practical, realistic projects that improve lives, reduce energy bills, and support local businesses.

In 2022 the Council moved away from a purely climate change focus to endorse Sustainable West Northants, a new strategy for its sustainability ambitions. It has since made strong progress across a wide range of areas, as detailed in its annual sustainability report and recognised by the Investors in the Environment accreditation scheme.

The Council’s new political administration has now expressed its aim to refocus the organisation’s sustainability commitments to ensure its efforts deliver the greatest value to local residents and businesses. This includes considering plans to remove net zero targets on WNC’s operational emissions by 2030 and those of residents and business by 2045, in favour of focusing limited public resources on initiatives with tangible benefits for residents and businesses. However, it is recognised that the Government’s target remains for the wider area to be Net Zero by 2050.

WNC will continue its wider sustainability work, still publishing its Annual Sustainability Report and working towards its environmental accreditation. However the refocus recognises that while the Council cannot control global climate change, it can achieve better results for local communities and nature by focusing on matters within its control and for which it has significant influence. 

“We’re fully committed to creating a more sustainable West Northamptonshire, looking after and improving our environment, and we want to further prioritise our focus on delivering practical, high-impact projects that make a real difference to people’s lives. The recommendations going to Cabinet next week will enable us to do this and deliver better, local outcomes for our residents and businesses that are justified financially for our taxpayers in delivering value for money."Cllr Mark Arnull, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

“We will continue with our work to develop and deliver a Sustainability Strategy that has direct positive impacts and opportunities for our communities.

“This refocus also reflects the limited ability we have locally to materially affect global warming, given the many factors outside our control.”Cllr Nigel Stansfield, Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Waste

Should the proposals be agreed by Cabinet at its meeting next Wednesday (16 July), the Council’s existing strategies will be updated in line with the new approach with reports also referring to “Environmental Impact” instead of “Climate Impact” to better reflect the broader focus.

WNC’s Cabinet will meet at The Forum, Towcester next Wednesday at 6pm. The agenda and reports are available to view on the WNC website and the meeting will be livestreamed on the Council’s Youtube channel.