Croydon's climate action plan requires £10.6 million to deliver its 'enhanced' option, according to documents presented at the Scrutiny Streets & Environment Sub-Committee meeting on Tuesday, 24 June 2025. The plan, an update to the Carbon Neutral Action Plan approved in February 2022, outlines the council's strategy for tackling climate change and achieving carbon reduction goals.
The plan presents several options: Affordable, Intermediate, Aspirational, and Enhanced. The Enhanced
option, costing £10.6 million over three years, is the preferred path, building upon the Affordable
option and incorporating alternative funding sources to avoid additional expenditure. The Climate Action Plan scrutiny June 2025.pdf document details the plan's progress and future initiatives.
Since the original Carbon Neutral Action Plan, the council has made strides in several areas, including supporting households through the Croydon Healthy Homes service, planting trees, increasing naturalised grass areas, and implementing streetlight dimming. Ongoing initiatives include planting wildflower verges, increasing recycling rates, rolling out EV infrastructure, and installing heat pumps.
However, the Intermediate and Aspirational options, requiring substantial financial investment beyond the council's current resources, remain out of reach. The Supplementary Agenda - Item 6 Cabinet Report - Climate Action Plan 24th-Jun-2025 18.30 Scrutiny S.pdf states that the Enhanced Option is that which can be delivered without additional expenditure (over and above service Business as Usual activities) by using alternative funding options.
The Streets & Environment Sub-Committee, including Councillor Alasdair Stewart, Councillor Kola Agboola, and Councillor Nina Degrads, reviewed the plan ahead of its presentation to the Cabinet. The meeting's agenda also included discussions on the council's stabilisation plan and financial performance.