The Climate Strategy and Action Plan (approved by Council on 18 November 2020) forms Merton's response to our declaration of a climate emergency, which set net zero carbon targets of 2050 for the borough and 2030 for the Council. The 30-year plan sets out our vision for Merton and the key actions required to get to net-zero carbon.
This page also contains our annual climate monitoring reports (the Climate Delivery Plan), our digestible Resident Summary Reports on progress and our bi-annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report.
Getting to net-zero carbon
Key sources of carbon emissions for the borough towards 2050
| Sources | Borough emissions |
|---|---|
| Economy | Emissions from the wider economy cannot be calculated accurately but they are estimated to far exceed the emissions generated within the borough. However, waste processing emissions are included within this 26ktCO2e – 3% emission |
| Residential buildings | 302 ktCO2e - 44% emissions |
| Commercial buildings | 179 ktCO2e - 26% emissions |
| Transport | 190 ktCO2e - 27% emissions |
| Land use | 0.2 ktCO2e - 0.02% emissions offset |
The total of borough emissions is 692 ktCO2e.
Climate Progress
Year 4 of delivery (2024)
- Merton’s Climate Delivery Plan for Year 4
- Resident Summary Report Year 4
- Resident Summary Report Year 4 accessible version
Year 3 of delivery (2023)
Year 2 of delivery (2022)
Year 1 of delivery (2021)
Council net zero by 2030
To find out more about what we are doing to reduce our own emissions, please visit the 2030 Council Target page.
What you can do
Tackling climate change is a complex problem that requires a shared solution. Around 98% of Merton’s emissions are outside the Council’s direct control. The action plan identifies where individuals, businesses, organisations, landlords, service providers and communities play a key role, and must make changes towards more sustainable behaviours to become a carbon neutral borough.
To find out more about what the action plan says and how you can help, join Merton’s Climate Action Group, or follow the thematic pages:
Climate Strategy Development - Archive
Webinars
Following the adoption of Merton’s Climate Strategy & Action Plan, we ran two webinars in December 2020 to launch the delivery phase of the Action Plan, and update local residents, community groups, businesses and organisations on next steps and how they can get involved in making Merton a net-zero carbon borough.
Developing our approach
The climate strategy and action plan is the result of a collaborative effort from many individuals and organisations across the borough and beyond:
A wide public consultation
- Climate Survey Consultation Report
- Suggested Actions identified through the Climate Consultation
- Recommendations from Merton's Climate Emergency Working Group
A stakeholder workshop in February 2020
- Climate Action Plan Workshop – Briefing Note
- Climate Action Plan Workshop – Delegate Agenda
- Climate Action Plan Workshop – Presentation
- Climate Action Plan Workshop – Workshop Report
Supporting technical evidence
- Technical work to understand Merton's baseline carbon emissions and consider a pathway to net-zero carbon.