The Essex Climate Action Commission is delighted by the news that Essex has been rated one of the best places in the world for tackling global warming.

On Thursday, 18 November, it was announced that ECC was awarded an A-Rating by CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, for action on climate change.

To achieve an A-rating, ECC provided environmental data to CDP-ICLEI Track, the world's leading climate change reporting platform. Local authorities must have both a climate adaptation plan and a published climate action plan to be awarded the top score.

Essex is the only county council in the UK to be awarded an A-Rating this year.

ECC's Climate Czar, Cllr Peter Schwier, said: "Being recognised globally for the climate action work in Essex is a huge accomplishment. Since it was unveiled in November 2021, our Climate Action Plan continues to be successfully executed as we continue our mission to become a net zero county by 2050."

Leader of Essex County Council, Cllr Kevin Bentley remarked: "It fills me with great joy to see Essex receive global recognition for its fight against climate change. We are fully committed to tackling climate change and we have shown that by making the environment one of four key focus areas in our Everyone's Essex strategy to level up the county between 2021 and 2025."

Chair of the independent Essex Climate Action Commission, Professor Jules Pretty, added: "This award is a superb recognition of the significant changes in policy and practice that have been made across the county of Essex. This collective challenge of moving toward net zero is being taken up with great leadership by the public sector, businesses, voluntary organisations and local communities."

The award announcement comes on the day after the publication of Essex County Council's Essex Climate Action Annual Report for 2021-22.

Set up by Essex County Council, the Essex Climate Action Commission published 'Net Zero: Making Essex Carbon Neutral' in July 2021.

Essex County Council accepted recommendations from this report in the Climate Action Plan, which sets guidelines for how Essex as a county can work to reduce carbon emissions.