Council backs new sustainable plan to protect environment
St Helens Borough Council has voted to end its voluntary Net Zero targets and remove the Climate Emergency, replacing it with a Sustainable St Helens Plan to deliver cleaner communities and support the rich biodiversity of the borough.
Article date: 17 September 2026
At a Full Council meeting on Wednesday 16 September councillors backed a motion led by Deputy Council Leader Councillor Michael Gibson, which calls for the new plan that will focus on practical environmental improvements residents most value.
Councillor Gibson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste Services, said: "The council's own assessment showed that it was responsible for as little as three percent of St Helens Borough's total emissions. With both the council and residents feeling the impact of ever-increasing costs impacting council and household budgets we need to make sure our focus is on reducing the burden on us all with targets that we would have limited direct control over, in a timeframe 10 years ahead of national requirements.
"We want to focus on protecting our local environment, which means clean streets, well maintained parks and green spaces, tackling fly-tipping and littering, clean air and water and taking steps to protect our unique, thriving biodiversity."
The original Climate Emergency was declared in July 2019, setting a target for the borough to hit net zero by 2040. A Climate Response Plan and Climate Action Plan was created on the back of the original decision.
Councillor Gibson added: "Through the Sustainable St Helens Plan we will review all spending and commitments made through the former net zero plan, keeping those that deliver savings, brings funding into the council or shows a clear benefit for everyone in our borough."
The Sustainable St Helens Plan will also make sure the council is continuing to meet its legal duties around the environment, climate and planning.