Southampton Net Zero Strategy

Draft Net Zero Strategy Consultation

In early 2023, Southampton City Council consulted on proposals to achieve its vision to be net zero carbon. The consultation is now closed.

The information gathered is being analysed and will be published in late summer 2023.

Read the Draft Net Zero Strategy.

Southampton Climate Commission

We are pleased to announce that the first meeting of the Southampton Climate Commission took place in November 2022, with key representatives from public sector, businesses and residents’ groups.

This independent forum, or Climate Commission, could help in achieving delivering these goals. It is a model other UK cities have introduced, bringing together representation from a range of stakeholders to develop ownership and oversight and establish agreed targets and positive action.

The Commission would help build capacity in the city to address the challenges of climate change and provide a platform for deliberation and democracy. The Commission will seek to:

Create shared responsibility and mobilise local action with meaningful representation of different groups
Demonstrate how climate action can be an opportunity to deliver co-benefits
Strengthen the evidence base and promote the adoption and delivery of appropriate climate action plans across sectors
Inform, guide, support and track progress towards appropriate local climate targets, promote transparency and encourage the replication/scaling up of best practice

Progress to Date

2021: High level assessment of emissions in Southampton was undertaken by Leeds University using projections based on a carbon budget assigned by population
Jan – June 2022: Consultation with the Chamber of Commerce, Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Workplace Travel Network, key partners and a survey open to the public with overall support for a climate commission
July 2022: Workshop on Climate Commission development including review of Terms of Reference
Nov 2022: First meeting of Commission