Guildford ranked among England's top eco-friendly towns
- sustainability
- cleaner air
- and green living.
The ranking is from a new study, carried out by Rubbish.com, to compare towns and cities across nine environmental and lifestyle factors. The findings determine which ones were leading the way when it comes to eco-friendly living.
The criteria included:
- the number of parks per resident,
- greenhouse gas emissions, recycling performance,
- household energy use,
- cycling rates
- the uptake of solar panels.
Each factor was weighted to reflect its importance. Every town and city was scored on the same scale for fair comparison.
Guildford's ranking is backed by strong environmental indicators, including:
- 2.95 parks per 10,000 residents
- an AQI of 34, indicating good air quality
- relatively low greenhouse gas emissions at 4.8 tonnes of CO₂ per person
- good recycling rates, with 56.4% of household waste recycled.
One of our key priorities is to make Guildford a more sustainable borough. Since declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019 the Council has:
- adopted a comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan, with over 300 actions listed
- reduced its carbon footprint by 13% from the 2019 baseline
- embedded sustainability into its corporate strategy.
We've also invested in sustainable travel through the development of a long-term transport strategy. This includes:
- discounted parking schemes for motorists with electric vehicles
- support for active travel infrastructure.
Cllr Catherine Houston, Lead Councillor for Climate Change and Leisure at Guildford Borough Council, said:
"Guildford's position as one of England's greenest towns and cities is something that we can all be proud of. It reflects the progress we've made as we aim to become Net Zero by 2030 and make our borough more sustainable for everyone.
"Every action, whether it's reducing emissions, recycling or choosing greener travel, helps us to reach those goals together."
Guildford also has over 65 parks, gardens and green spaces to explore. These green spaces range from quiet gardens to larger parks and open spaces.
Stoke Park and Guildford Castle Grounds have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award. A Green Flag recognises the best parks and green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Cllr Angela Goodwin, Lead Councillor for Environment and Recreation at Guildford Borough Council, said:
"Our parks and green spaces are at the heart of Guildford's sustainability success. They provide opportunities to relax, exercise and connect with nature.
"They also play a key role in supporting biodiversity and improving the borough's air quality. We're committed to protecting these spaces as part of our wider vision for a healthier, greener borough.
"I'd like to add my personal thanks to our staff who work hard all year round to maintain our green spaces and encourage biodiversity to flourish."
You can find out more about what we're doing to combat climate change on our website.