CCS provides further £180,000 into sustainability programme to help local government fight climate change

We are delighted to have extended our funding for a sustainability programme to support local councils to combat climate change, in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA). 

The LGA’s Sustainability Improvement Programme (SIP), which we have invested in since October 2023, gives councils across England tools and opportunities to build sustainability capability and capacity. 

The latest round of funding of around £180,000 will support the programme until March 2026, bringing our total investment in the programme to nearly £900,000. 

What has the sustainability programme achieved so far?

Since the programme started:

• 312 of the 317 local authorities across England have taken part in various aspects of the programme
• 2,900 individuals, both from sustainability roles and those in other areas of expertise within councils, have attended events and training
• 261 councils downloaded the programme’s Greenhouse Gas Accounting tool, standardising measuring emissions for the whole sector
• a Sustainability Action Network meeting every three months has been set up, with 146 councils contributing to this network as of October 2025
• various action learning set workshop series have been presented to 27 councils, including two series focusing on sustainable procurement
• 237 officers and councillors have taken part in LGA Sustainability Masterclasses to achieve carbon literacy accreditation

The SIP gives councils reliable, data-based methods to help them choose the most important actions for reaching the UK’s carbon net zero goals and supporting the Government’s mission of achieving clean energy by 2030.

The programme aims to help local authorities get to grips with their sustainability practices and guide them on the journey towards carbon net zero through:

• building capability – providing learning, skills, and guidance to help councils meet their climate and adaptation targets, through masterclasses and workshops that will highlight important sustainability themes and upskill participants
• tools – creating free-to-use tools like a greenhouse gas accounting tool and waste emissions calculator to help councils create baselines for their current performance and enable easier emissions tracking
• networks – continuing to engage with councils through an online sustainability hub and a monthly sustainability bulletin, and allowing councils to engage with each other through an officer communities of practice network

Eddie Gibson, National Strategic Account Manager for Local Communities and Housing at CCS, said: 

“We are delighted to have extended our investment into the sustainability programme and to continue working in partnership with the LGA to help meet the national target of achieving carbon net zero. 

Building capability around sustainability in this sector is a demonstration of how we provide value for the nation by supporting the public sector to achieve broader social outcomes and benefits.”

Jane Scullion, Leader of Calderdale Council and Chair of the LGA Improvement Committee, said: 

“As the leaders of local areas, only councils can lead targeted local climate action in our villages, towns and cities, councils are at the forefront of local sustainability action. 

Through the continuation of this programme and partnership with Crown Commercial Service, the LGA will be able to support councils with carbon reduction and adaptation measures.”

Ariane Crampton, Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership and Programme Manager, Oxfordshire County Council, said: 

“The sustainability improvement programme from the LGA is a unique national collaboration space for peer-to-peer learning and support between local authorities. The benefit of this knowledge exchange translates as time and money saved on developing programmes, as often ideas can be replicated by other councils quite easily.

The support provided by the LGA and fellow councils helps develop skills and resilience among sustainability teams, which is invaluable given the challenging nature of these roles.”

Find out more

To find out more about the sustainability programme, visit the LGA’s Sustainability Hub and sign up for their e-bulletin.

To read more about how CCS is supporting the UK’s journey visit our carbon net zero page.