A Greener Way For Our Bay: New Climate Action Plan for Torbay approved

Torbay’s Place Leadership Board endorses ambitious climate action plan to boost energy efficiency in homes, protect nature, support sustainable businesses, and improve access to affordable public transport options.

An ambitious new action plan to help tackle climate change has been endorsed by Torbay’s Place Leadership Board. The plan aims to make homes more energy efficient, protect the natural environment, support businesses to become more sustainable, and make sustainable and public transport (like walking, cycling and taking the bus) more accessible and affordable.

‘A Greener Way For Our Bay’ is Torbay Climate Partnership’s framework and action plan which aims to reduce the Bay’s carbon emissions and prepare for a changing climate. The Partnership is made up of a wide range of organisations in Torbay from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors. The plan was endorsed by Torbay’s Place Leadership Board on Friday 27 September.

It strikes a balance between immediate actions and long-term strategies, recognising that some measures can be implemented swiftly, while others require careful planning and resources. The Framework sets a direction for the long haul, with a series of short-term action plans (three-year plans) to guide Torbay through incremental steps towards reaching the national 2050 net-zero target.

Between December 2023 and March 2024, the Partnership consulted on the plan through three surveys and a range of engagement events. During the consultation, 1263 people were engaged by Tonic Creatives on behalf of the Partnership, and in the most recent round of surveys, more than 600 people responded. In addition, a number of organisations provided detailed feedback separately to the consultation.

A total of 70% of respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned about climate change. Although a broad range of views were expressed throughout the consultation, the vast majority of respondents were supportive of the actions proposed. Through the face to face engagement, 96% of the people Tonic engaged with were supportive of the overall plan.

The Greener Way For Our Bay action plan was developed in response to previous consultations, and engagement events around climate change and following the latest consultation there are further changes to the plan as a result of feedback.

David Edmondson, Interim Chair of the Torbay Climate Partnership, said: “We are pleased to get the support of so many Torbay residents for A Greener Way For Our Bay. Working with all the other partners on Torbay Climate Partnership we have developed this important plan and we have also acted on the feedback and suggestions made during this consultation to improve the plan.

“Thank you to everyone who took part in this consultation, we really appreciate you taking the time to feedback and we will keep everyone updated on the next steps.”

A Greener Way For Our Bay proposes ten key things to help reduce Torbay’s carbon emissions. These are:

1. Help more people live and work in homes and buildings that are energy efficient – priority areas will include insulation of existing buildngs, transitioning to heat pumps and setting high standards for new buildings built in Torbay.
2. Make sustainable transport and public transport more accessible and affordable – the aim will be to give people more choice on how they travel, focusing towards sustainable, low-carbon travel options.
3. Ensure that roads and paths are safer and more accessible for cyclists and walkers – making it easier for people to cycle or walk will improve both air quality and public health, and for provide accessible, affordable, and efficient travel options for all residents.
4. Reduce waste and increase recycling - the amount of waste we create, especially food waste, needs to be reduced and the Action Plan aims to reduce this and also encourage local growing.
5. Enjoy and protect our marine and natural environment - projects include a new comprehensive plan to restore and protect natural habitats within Torbay and projects to help our local sea grass thrive.
6. Help ‘green’ our businesses and create new jobs with the environment at their heart - Initiatives include helping around 250 businesses by 2025, led by the Make it Net Zero Torbay, and launching a green tourism programme.
7. Ensure the community is at the heart of local action - actions include community, schools and business engagement to raise awareness and promote saving energy, reducing waste, growing food, protecting and enhancing the natural world and walking and cycling.
8. Monitor progress and set up initiatives that celebrate success – the Action Plan will be reviewed annually and the Torbay Climate Partnership will celebrate Torbay’s successes by sharing stories on social media and other channels.
9. Help everyone understand why change is needed and how sustainable choices will make a difference – this will be done on an ongoing basis via publicity, and engagement with partners and the community.
10. Work with nature and the local community to prepare for a changing climate - While reducing carbon emissions is essential, Torbay's plan also includes adaptation measures to prepare for climate impacts. This involves assessing risks to public health, infrastructure, and biodiversity, and helping us to prepare and be more resilient.