By entering your email, you will be added to our mailing list, meaning you will receive occasional newsletters and other information about the Shropshire Climate Action Partnership and the Zero Carbon Shropshire project. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time. For more information on how we manage your personal information, please read our Privacy Policy. If you would like to get involved with our working groups developing the Zero Carbon Shropshire Plan, please enter your phone number and indicate which group(s) and add any comments, and we will get back to you with further information and details of meeting times. First name(s) Last name Phone Comments Please add any comments or questions about the working groups here. Multi choice Admin and Editorial Assistance Communication & Engagement Team Carbon Tracking and Reporting Team Working Group on Energy Working Group on Buildings Working Group on Land and Biodiversity Working Group on Transport Working Group on Consumption and Resources Submit

Shropshire Climate Action: Our climate reports South Shropshire's "Next Steps" Report (2021) South Shropshire Climate Action wrote the ‘Next Steps’ Climate Action Plan which was launched in May 2021. The plan set out practical and achievable steps to enable the Ludlow constituency (as it was known then) to achieve a carbon net zero target by 2030, whilst also contributing to human and environmental health and well-being. The report covered the themes of Land & Biodiversity, Transport, Energy & Buildings, and Communities & Education. In June 2021 (in the frenetic days leading up to COP26) Philip Dunne, M.P. for the Ludlow Constituency, presented the 'Next Steps' Report in the House of Commons and placed the report written by his constituents directly into the hands of the chair of COP26, Alok Sharma M.P. To download the South Shropshire Climate Action report (2021) click on the links below. Download the Next Steps Report (Summary) Download the Next Steps Report (Full - 72mb) South Shropshire Climate Action's End of Project Report (2025) Over 3 years, South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) has engaged with community groups, businesses, schools and local networks to begin implementing the strategy outlined in the “Next Steps” Climate Action Plan. Funding from an anonymous donor paid for two Project Co-ordinators, Nick Read and Fiona Morgan (working as a job share). The End of Project report (2025) outlines the Project Co-ordinators' activities, in conjunction with the many volunteers, organisations and networks that comprise South Shropshire Climate Action. Whilst some thematic areas have seen significant progress and a fifth theme of Repair-Reuse-Recycle has been added, others have been difficult to implement. A grant from Shropshire Council’s Climate Change Task Force enabled a research project involving four case studies to be conducted, using Action Learning Research methodology, to ascertain why some approaches to decarbonising Shropshire communities were successful, and others not (see the link to the full Action Learning Research Project report 2025 below). SSCA also helped with Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin’s first county-wide climate conference, drawing delegates from all over Shropshire, on the theme of how to accelerate change towards achieving net zero carbon. Of particular interest was the inclusion of young people in the conference planning and delivery through the Environment Leadership Programme (ELP). The End of Project report concludes with reflections on the last three years, to inform future developments, as the work continues under the auspices of Shropshire Climate Action. Download the Next Steps End of Project Report 2025 Download the Action Learning Project Report 2025 The Zero Carbon Shropshire Plan (2021) The Zero Carbon Shropshire plan was produced by Shropshire Climate Action Partnership in 2021 and looked at how Shropshire as a whole could get to net zero by 2030. Download the Zero Carbon Shropshire Plan A note about Net Zero We appreciate that achieving net zero by 2030 is ambitious, requiring resources and commitments from national and international agencies far beyond our ability to influence. However, SCA in conjunction with Shropshire Council and the Church of England have all adopted 2030 as the date because more urgent action is required than is being achieved by the government’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2050.

Shropshire Climate Action: Repair and repurpose Repair & repurpose What are Repair Cafés? Repair Cafés are popping up all over Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. For the full listing of local repair cafés and when they are held, scroll to the end of this page. Repair Cafés are free meeting places where local people can take their broken items, volunteers help to repair them. and where people may also be taught to repair their own items. This may include: Clothes Soft toys Household furnishings Furniture Electrical appliances Bikes Household items including crockery Ornaments Garden tools etc. This video shows a Repair Café in action. Actions you can take 1. Set up a R epair Caf é in your community using our tool kit Download this tool kit , developed by Ludlow Repair Café, which provides the paperwork to help new Repair Cafés set up. This will download as a zip file . The National Repair Café website also provides guidance on how to set up a repair café . 2. Find a local Repair Caf é Take your broken items to one of the l ocal Repair Cafés across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. You can find some local repair cafes on the Repair Cafe website map . Or the list below shows you where you can find your nearest one and how often they meet. 3. Volunteer with a Repair Caf é Consider offering your fixing and mending skills as a volunteer Find a local Repair Café here Bayston Hill Repair Cafe 3rd Saturday every 2 months Click for information Bishop's Castle: Walter's Workshop Fridays weekly Click for information Highley Repair Cafe 2nd Saturday every other month Click for information Oswestry & Borders Repair Cafe 2nd Saturday of the month Click for information Pontesbury Repair Cafe 2nd Saturday every 2 months Click for information Wem Repair Cafe 4th Saturday of the month, quarterly Click for information Bridgnorth Repair Cafe Pop up Click for information Church Stretton Repair Cafe 2nd Saturday of the month Click for information Ludlow Repair Cafe 4th Saturday of the month, quarterly Click for information Oswestry Midweek Mend Wednesdays Click for information Shrewsbury Repair Cafe 3rd Saturday of the month Click for information Broseley Repair Cafe 4th Saturday of the month Click for information Ellesmere Repair Cafe 1st Saturday of the month Click for information Newport Repair Cafe 1st Saturday of the month, quarterly Click for information Oswestry Clothes Swap & Stitch 1st Saturday of the month Click for information Telford Repair Cafe Last Saturday of the month Click for information

Shropshire Climate Action: Make a Donation Make a Donation As a registered charity, we greatly rely on our wonderful network of volunteers and supporters who donate their time and resources to help us achieve our goals. If you have a little spare and you’re able to make a donation to us today, we’d be tremendously grateful – every little helps us to spread the word, host events, continue campaigning and build the resources we need to reduce the impact of climate change on our wonderful county. You can make a donation via our fundraising page on Just Giving here Thank you. We really appreciate your support.

Improve efficiency Fabric first Most of us don't live in recent, energy efficient homes. We need to add (or retrofit ) energy-saving measures. Plan a series of steps, which can be implemented over time, saving money and disruption. It's best to start by improving the energy efficiency of our houses, addressing the 'fabric first': Improve insulation, air-tightness and ventilation: Window and door replacement. Loft insulation. Wall insulation - cavity, internal and/or external. Floor insulation. Air tightness. Appropriate ventilation / moisture control, to avoid issues with damp and mould: Trickle vents, extractor fans, heat recovery (MVHR). Take opportunities to insulate You can insulate your loft at any time, although it's more comfortable up there in the spring or autumn. But adding wall, loft or floor insulation is more disruptive. Plan to do it when opportunities arise, possibly a room at a time over a number of years for internal work. Fit internal wall insulation if you are: Installing a new kitchen or bathroom. Replacing or repairing plaster or plasterboard. Or just emptying and decorating a room. Fit external wall insulation if you need scaffolding, which is a significant cost, for any reason: Working on rendering or painting. Fitting replacement windows. First Retrofit priorities Draughts. Drainage - maintain gutters, downpipes and drains. Condensation and damp - a vital topic we'll return to. Asbestos - may be discovered during a retrofit and likely to require specialist removal or treatment. Windows and doors Replacing single-glazed windows, with modern double- or triple-glazing, and old draughty doors makes a home feel far more comfortable and significantly reduces energy losses. It's important to avoid thermal bridging around the frames. The reduction in energy use, at current prices, means that replacement double-glazed windows typical pay for themselves over 15 to 20 years. Loft / roof insulation Adding loft insulation is usually the most cost-effective way of reducing the energy lost from a house. If you have none, adding 300mm of loft insulation will typically pay for itself in one to two years. There are few better investments. Care is required if you have a 'room in the roof', have ceilings immediately under a flat or sloping roof, or have dormers. Insulation needs to be installed to avoid condensation, either by having a moisture-proof membrane on the warm side of the insulation or, in certain older properties, using a fully-breathable structure. Make sure that any air leaks into the loft space are blocked. For example, this could be from behind plaster board in the top-floor rooms or through downlighters. Wall insulation It's almost always worth fitting internal or external cavity wall insulation to houses that have solid walls (without a cavity), as the work has a short payback period, typically of a few years. Returns are also good for adding cavity wall insulation to houses that have cavity walls but no insulation in the cavity. It can be worth adding internal or external wall insulation to houses with cavity wall insulation, built up to about 2002 (to 2006), when the building regulations standards were tightened. Houses built since then should have reasonable wall insulation, and it's currently not likely to be worth improving on this. Floor insulation This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand.

Shropshire Climate Action: Renewable Energy in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Renewable energy production in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Read information about the potential renewable energy capacity across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and why we support solar farms and roof top solar Read the Shropshire Renewable Energy Opportunity Map report (Full .pdf -100Mb) Browse the Renewable Energy maps via Shropshire Council's website Renewable Energy Mapping for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin How much renewable energy potential is there in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin? Where is it, and how could it impact the local economy? What future infrastructure will be needed to support the journey towards net zero carbon Shropshire by 2030? Shropshire Council funded Zero Carbon Shropshire to explore these questions in 2021. The mapping exercise looked at where the opportunities are for ground-mounted solar and wind farm development in Shropshire and the associated grid constraints and opportunities, to help plan for the development of the local energy industry for decarbonising residential, industrial and other energy use. The series of on-line maps show the siting possibilities of such infrastructure with the aim of helping inform planning decisions to provide a strategic approach to energy development in Shropshire and to promote the development of the local energy industry. Watch the webinar discussing the report and maps recorded on the 20 October 2021. The Benefits of Solar Farms The whole world is undergoing an enormous and rapid change in the way it gets its energy, moving away from burning fossil fuels to cleaner, renewable sources such as wind and solar. While climate change is the main driver, political and economic instability in the gas and oil markets are also becoming important factors. We make the case below about the benefits of solar farms as an important part of the UK’s future energy mix. What about coal, oil and gas? They’ve served us well for two hundred years We cannot depend on fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) in the long-term as they: give off greenhouse gases which are changing the earth’s climate, leading to long-term problems for humans and nature are highly polluting, which is damaging to human health and nature are a finite resource and are becoming too expensive, so more and more people cannot afford them, leading to fuel poverty What about hydrogen? Hydrogen gives off only water when burned and can be used as a direct replacement for most fossil fuel uses. The big problem with hydrogen is there isn’t enough that’s easy to get at and naturally occurring to meet our needs, meaning we’ll have to make it. Hydrogen can be made from water but it takes a lot of energy, which we’d either have to get from burning fossil fuels or from renewables. Using hydrogen, therefore, could meet some of our energy needs but only if we also fully commit to renewables like wind, solar and the rest. Haven’t you forgotten biomass? Biomass means stuff that grows or waste from stuff that grows, such as trees, animal manure and food waste, all of which can be burned or converted to bio-gas using anaerobic digestion which can then be burned to generate energy. Biomass is considered a renewable because other living things can grow to replace what has been used. However, unlike other renewables, biomass gives off greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Although making ‘new’ biomass will re-absorb the carbon release in burning the previous material, this takes time – think how long it takes for trees to grow. So biomass, can only ever be a partial fix to the UK energy mix problem. The National Grid: wind versus solar - generating electricity where it's needed The National Grid has been designed to carry electricity from power stations to where it is used. Changing where we generate our electricity from in-shore power stations to large offshore wind farms bringing their power ashore at a small number of places will place impossible loads on the National Grid, meaning we will have to redesign it at great cost to consumers. Solar farms and rooftop solar can be installed much closer to where the energy is needed which means much less re-design work for the National Grid and, therefore, far less cost to the consumer. It is inevitable that local renewable generation and local consumption, possibly linked to local tariff arrangements, will form part of the UK electricity landscape in the future. Is it true that land cannot be returned to agriculture at the end of the lifetime of a solar farm? No, this is not true. A solar farm leaves no permanent effect on land. It can be removed in a few days and the site reverted back to whatever use it previously had or an alternative. In a couple of years it would be impossible to tell that a solar farm had ever been there. While it is in place, the soil also has a chance to improve its own micro-structures and fauna if it is not being used for intensive agriculture. This is not the case with a power station – think about all the ‘brown field’ sites that we have to spend money on in order to clean up and re-use. I have heard that solar panels contain lead and that this can enter the environment – is this true? Like all electronic apparatus solar panels and control systems contain lead (in the solder used to make electrical connections) and other rare metals. These cannot leave the device when in use, but the equipment must be disposed of properly at the end of its use, either by re-use elsewhere or by proper re-cycling. The elements that can be recovered are of value (many are scarce) so there is a strong financial as well as legislative imperative to recover these. Given that these installations may have lifetimes of 30 or 40 years, the need for this recovery will increase into the future. Already, the scrap value of ‘old’ consumer electronics from your local recycling centre has increased several-fold. The alternatives to fossil fuels include renewables The most obvious alternative sources of energy that do not give off greenhouse gases are: Renewables (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, wave and tidal) Nuclear Hydrogen Renewables can be used for most things we currently use fossil fuels for and are endlessly available – the wind is always blowing somewhere, the sun is shining, rivers are flowing, waves are forming in the sea and the Earth’s core is generating heat. What about nuclear? While we can perhaps use nuclear as part of our future energy mix, we cannot rely on it as a replacement for fossil fuels. This is because existing nuclear power stations are nearing the end of their useful lives and new ones take a very long time to build, are hugely expensive and present significant risks. We still don’t have a good way of safely dealing with nuclear waste. Why can’t we rely solely on offshore wind farms? In the UK wind farms are now big business and wind turbines are very efficient at converting wind into electricity, so why do we need solar at all? The UK Government has set targets for onshore and offshore wind capacity to be installed by 2030 and 2050. These targets, together with some existing nuclear capacity, do not meet the likely total UK electricity demand. We will therefore need to continue to burn gas to make up the shortfall or turn to other renewable sources such as solar. It therefore makes sense to increase energy generation from all renewable sources. In addition, offshore wind farms aren’t in the best location to provide electricity to all parts of the UK and sometimes the wind doesn’t blow. I hear solar farms are not efficient, so why would we build them? Solar panels are usually between 15 and 22% efficient , meaning they convert 15-22% of the sun’s energy that falls on them to electricity. This is much less than wind turbines at 50%+ or a standard gas boiler at as much as 94% or even a standard car engine at between 60 and 85%. Efficiency is an important consideration if you are dealing with a limited resource. However, wind and solar are free and readily available, whereas gas and petrol have to be found, mined, refined and transported – think of North Sea oil rigs, oil tankers, gas pipes and petrol stations – meaning their efficiency is much less than it may appear. Grazing sheep and bee-keeping on solar farms are token gestures aren’t they? No, this is not ‘tokenism’. During the life time of the solar farm, the land could, for example, be used for livestock grazing or bee-keeping, both of which can generate additional income for the land owner. The presence of bees and other pollinators is a good sign that biodiversity is improving. Or the land could simply be left to lie fallow or managed to encourage wild flowers to grow thereby invigorating nature. All of these possible uses, without pesticide or fertiliser application, will allow the soil fertility and condition to improve and flora and fauna to flourish, increasing the biodiversity and health of the ecosystem. Do solar farms undermine our food security? 60% of our food is imported, land is being taken out of cultivation at a rate of almost 100,000 acres per year, and yields are declining due to the effect of global heating. Can we afford to lose more arable land to the development of solar farms? Economics, consumer habits and expectations are the major drivers of food imports, not the proportion of land used in the UK. The availability of best and most versatile (BMV) land may be more than enough if alternative crop varieties and new forms of growing (hydroponics etc) become commonplace. Moreover, the land used for a solar farm can quickly and completely return to farming use if needed. It is for landowners to decide how they manage and use their land. The idea that good land is somehow ‘poorly used’ if it has a solar farm temporarily sited on it is not the whole story – the reasons for this are far more complex. Many traditional forms of agriculture are not financially sustainable. We should be asking “why do landowners look to solar farms and other schemes as the only viable business for their land?”. Big Solar Co-op installs solar panels on rooftops which are the size of a tennis court or bigger, and where the building has high electricity usage (prior to 2022 prices, at least £20k in electricity bills). See their website to find out more. Or submit information about your site via https://bigsolar.coop/submit-a-site/ for an assessment and response from the local coordinator.

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Shropshire Climate Action: Reducing consumption Reduce consumption Easy actions to save energy & money Reduce use: turn things off, don’t overfill kettles, control room temperatures, use curtains and blinds. The Loop recommends reducing the vampire load of electrical appliances by switching them off rather than leaving them in standby mode. Their research shows the average household could be wasting £325 [2023 figures] on their Phantom Load annually. Wasted energy contributes to around a third of an average energy bill, so it’s a simple way to make a big impact. Install LED lighting. Draught proof doors and windows. Look at the efficiency of your appliances and boilers . Efficient appliances can save 50% compared to inefficient ones. Consider using smart controls and remote control radiator valves. Here are some Top Tips from Stretton Climate Care. Find out what the carbon footprint of your household is and get some further ideas on how to reduce it. Watch this video for tips on how to save energy, water & money at home Local Shropshire couple, Jon and Ann, discuss the changes they have made to their 1980's bungalow to reduce their energy and water use and the impact this has had on their bills and carbon footprint. Use their useful tips and information to make changes in your home. Here are our top tips for reducing your energy use & bills at home 1

Shropshire Climate Action: Retrofit Information Sheets To make our homes more energy efficient, we need to install (or retrofit) energy-saving measures. These Information S heets are free to download as pdfs and provide advice on what can be done and the best order in which to do it. The sheets were updated in March/April 2024. Introd u c tory Sheet Sheet 1 Fabric First: Planning changes to your home? Sheet 2 Preparing for Retrofit: Resources on your doorstep Sheet 3 The Energy Hierarchy: The Principle behind the Whole Building Plan Sheet 4 Opportunities to Begin the Journey Sheet 5 First Retrof it Priorities Sheet 6 Insulation: Roof & Attic Sheet 7 Insulation: Walls Sheet 8 Insulation: Windows & Ventilation Sheet 9 Insulation: Floors Sheet 10 Water Efficiency Sheet 11 Heating systems Sheet 12 Lighting Sheet 13 Renewables Sheet 14 Costs & Grants

Shropshire Climate Action: Buses Buses South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) sent Shropshire Council "15 Transport Asks" . These are the four relating to public transport. 1. Transform bus services to maximise the shift from car trips to buses 2. Fund the transformation of all buses so that they are zero carbon 3. Introduce a “one ticket” public transport policy covering all buses regardless of operator and all local rail (see for example, Transport for Cornwall ). 4. Design and fund a best practice Park and Ride service for Ludlow and Bridgnorth served by electric buses. SSCA received a response from Shropshire Council. Click here to read their answers Every village, every hour campaign CPRE's "Every v illage, every hour" report (2021) sets out what a comprehensive bus network for England would look like, with services to every village every hour, and the scale of investment required. It would provide a bus service fit for the climate emergency and address the inequality and social exclusion caused by the dominance of cars in rural life. Shropshire-based campaign group BeST: Better Shrewsbury Transport BeST (Better Shrewsbury Transport) comprises a group of organisatio ns and individuals keen to engage positively with the council to promote active and sustainable solutions to the town’s transport challen ges. It is campaigning for urgent action to promote active and sustainable modes of transport.

Shropshire Climate Action: Land management Land management Land management is a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHG), though unlike other industries, the majority are not carbon dioxide, but other molecules such as nitrous oxide and methane. The management of ruminant animals is a key feature to achieving net zero carbon. Approximately 80% of the total carbon found in terrestrial ecosystems is in the soil, and the soils ability to store carbon is three times that of the atmosphere and second only to the oceans. SCA's Land and Biodiversity Group supported by evidence from Cranfield University and Natural England have produced the Carbon in Land in Shropshire report (2023) on the carbon audit of soils and vegetation, indicating that Shropshire’s soils offer significant potential to store more carbon. Key messages are: In all habitats (even woodland) significantly more carbon is stored in the soil than in the biomass (the growing plants) Peatland offers significant potential to store carbon, but only if properly managed, otherwise it becomes a net carbon emitter Because of the amount of land involved, how we manage local grassland and arable cropping will have significant impact. Find out our views on using land for solar farms . Peatland restoration Shropshire contains significant areas of peatland. Whilst peat is consid ered as a significant carbon sink, it is only effective if pro pe rly managed. Almost all of England’s pea tlands, including Shropshire’s, are drying out and emitting, rather than sequestering, carbon. It is a local priority, therefore, to rewet peatland and enable it to sequester (store) more carbon (see the video "Just Add Water"). We should encourage agricultural practices that increase soil organic matter in Shropshire’s grassland, and which reduce carbon loss in arable land by reducing tillage. Support for these actions is being facilitated through the Farming in Protected Landscape project (FIPL). Rebuilding the soil with livestock Rebuilding the soil. One Somerset cattle farmer’s experience of changing his grazing regime for the better (6 minutes). Maintaining good organic matter levels Looking at maintaining organic matter levels in arable and grassland (3 minutes). Trees & hedgerows on a dairy farm How trees and hedgerows are used on Tim Downes' Shropshire dairy, beef and arable farm (5 minutes). CPRE Shropshire's Hedgerow Heroes project (2021 to 2024) What the project has achieved and the benefits of hedgerows to the countryside (11 minutes). Life in the hedge: how to manage hedgerows for wildlife A talk by hedgerow management expert Nigel Adams on hedgerows and how best to manage them for their health, longevity and biodiversity (1 hour 40 mins, but worth the watch!). Agroforestry on upland farms A Soil Association (October 2021) video of 3 upland farmers in Scotland, Brecon and Devon and their experiences of using agroforestry (11 minutes). The benefits of agroforestry Two Scottish livestock farmers talk about the benefits of trees and woodland on their farms (4 minutes). Woodland benefits for poultry farms A Cumbrian poultry farmer on the benefits of woodland (2 minutes).

Shropshire Climate Action: Nature walks leaflets Shropshire Nature Walks leaflets South Shropshire Climate Action, in conjunction with local wildlife groups and libraries, produced a series of Nature Walks leaflets and posters for Shropshire towns, d esigned and illustrated by Sarah Jameson , a South Shropshire artist - we hope you like them! These leaflets can be downloaded below along with posters containing the same information. Bridgnorth Walk Download the Bridgnorth walk leaflet Download the Bridgnorth walk poster Ludlow Walk Download the Ludlow walk leaflet Download the Ludlow walk poster