Final call for residents to share views and shape how the county tackles climate change

Surrey County Council is seeking views from residents at a final in-person workshop to help shape the council’s next five-year climate change delivery plan.

The plan will set out priority areas to tackle climate change and initiatives that will benefit residents’ everyday lives including:

• Increasing the thermal efficiency of Surrey homes
• Reducing energy bills for residents through grants and bulk purchasing schemes to provide long-term cost savings, with two-thirds of homes paying more than necessary on bills.
• Building resilience to threats to personal property and the local economy, such as flooding, extreme heat, wildfires, and damage to commuting infrastructure including trainlines and roads 
• Reversing nature loss, to tackle the 11% of native species have gone extinct in the last few decades
• Creating jobs and upskilling opportunities in new and innovative sectors. 

The workshop will take place on Saturday 26 July between 10am and 3.30pm at Denbies Wine Estate.  

Marisa Heath, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Environment said: “We know many residents are already seeing the impacts of climate change through flooding and disruption to road and rail services, so it’s really important we listen to what is most important to them, and design a plan that will help us tackle climate change in Surrey now, and for future generations to come.

“I encourage everyone who can, to attend this workshop and contribute to this highly important plan which will help Surrey lead the way in addressing nature loss and climate change.”

The engagement phase of the Climate Change Delivery Plan is being co-designed with residents, businesses, schools and community groups. The county council has already conducted in-person workshops across the county with schools, parishes and residents, alongside polling and online engagement to ensure a wide range of views and demographics are heard. 

To find out more and highlight priority concerns visit the Commonplace site. To register for the in-person workshop, visit Eventbrite.