Environmental Ambition Statement

Our economy and society depend on a healthy environment. To achieve this, the council recognises that it needs to work with its partners to tackle local and global environmental issues and place sustainability at the heart of everything it does.

Wandsworth’s ambition for a sustainable future

VISION: Wandsworth is to be a community of global citizens living within environmental limits in an attractive, high quality local environment.

This Ambition Statement aims to communicate our long-term intentions for a more sustainable borough. Our commitments relate to our sustainable community strategy, Our Wandsworth 2018 and are delivered through the planning framework and service plans.

Local authorities have a responsibility to demonstrate leadership and innovation in managing resources in a more sustainable way. We recognise the challenges that we face in developing solutions to local, regional and global environmental problems, such as climate change, peak oil and resource depletion.

Wandsworth is committed to:

  1. Demonstrating leadership on sustainability in partnership with local communities
  2. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow down climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels
  3. Preparing for and adapting to the unavoidable effects of climate change
  4. Tackling consumption of resources, energy and pollution
  5. A cleaner, greener, healthier and safer borough that does not compromise the wellbeing of future generations

In delivering these commitments, we will:

  • Monitor and manage our own use of natural resources as an organisation, as well as championing sustainability as a community leader
  • Consider the sustainability impact and environmental risks of all new policies, projects and proposals
  • Regularly report on progress in delivering our environmental programmes
  • Ensure that council officers and members are regularly briefed on sustainability issues and environmental policies and practices
  • Require contractors and others operating on our behalf to uphold the same environmental standards
  • Listen to what our residents say matters to them and act on this

Up to Sustainability

Updated: 25/06/2019