Climate Emergency

More information about net zero, sustainability and climate change

In this section

Three Rivers District Council's action on net zero

We are committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030 for our own emissions and by 2045 for the district.

Our Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy (PDF file, 8.7 MB) sets out how we intend to improve our operations and lead by example. It also details how we aim to help residents, businesses and other stakeholders in the district reduce their impact on the environment, improve their sustainability and adapt to a changing climate.

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One of our key aims is to protect and enhance the local environment. We regularly commission reports to find opportunities to improve nature across our green spaces and enhance natural habitats across the district. For example, last year, we purchased and restored the Withey Beds – one of the few remaining wetland habitats in Hertfordshire. We are pleased that one of our local parks, Leavesden Country Park, was last year awarded a national Bees’ Needs Champion Award by DEFRA for creating pollinator-friendly environments that attract and nurture local bee populations.

We have also facilitated the development of local climate and environmental action groups to advance community-led sustainability initiatives in collaboration with Watford and Three Rivers Friends of the Earth and Sustainable Three Rivers. Our Sustainability Booklet (PDF file, 7.1 MB), created in partnership with these organisations, provides suggestions for how to live more sustainably and outlines the steps we are taking to tackle various climate issues.

We continually seek to improve levels of recycling across the district. In 2021/22, Three Rivers residents recycled, composted and reused 63.5% of their waste – the highest proportion of waste recycled, composted or reused in England. We work to make waste collection across the district more consistent and lobby waste producers and policymakers and run public awareness campaigns throughout the year with WasteAware. In recent years, we launched an initiative to separate all waste from public litter bins for recycling and began converting the district’s food waste into electricity and fertiliser at a local anaerobic digestion plant. We also started processing garden waste products into compost and hold an annual compost giveaway.

We also want to encourage walking and cycling in Three Rivers District and create safe, efficient and accessible transport networks in the district to encourage sustainable transport. Major improvements to essential local bus services in recent years have meant they have now replaced nearly 80,000 car journeys in the district annually, saving an estimated 40% of carbon emissions compared with the same number of journeys made in a small car.