In 2019, Farnham Town Council declared a climate emergency and committed to take action to reduce carbon emissions at a local level. 

Councillors resolved that Farnham Town Council:

• Agrees there is a “Climate Emergency” that requires further action. 
• Aims to become carbon neutral by 2030, acting directly on activities within its responsibility, and in cooperation with principal authorities. 
• Continues to review its operations and the way in which it delivers services and develop an action plan to consider positive changes that would reduce carbon emissions.
• Recognises that to achieve its carbon neutral targets, it is essential for central government to provide powers, funding and other resources; so, the Council calls on UK Government and local climate change partnerships to provide the necessary support. 
• Continues to encourage the local Farnham community to take all practical steps to reduce its own carbon footprint and safeguard the environment. 

See Annex 1 to read the report which councillors agreed to adopt. 

Some of the actions taken so far

• Transitioning to electric or gas-powered vehicles.
• Expanding the range of low noise electric tools used by the outside workforce.
• Reducing our bedding plant order by ten per cent each year and including more drought tolerant perennial plants.
• Planting an avenue of 70 trees to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 
• Planting one and a half acres of open space with wildflowers. 
• Enabling 90 per cent of the bulbs in our floral displays to be reused by community groups.
• Organising environmental events such as the Big Help Out. In 2023, over 100 people volunteered to help Farnham Biodiversity Group create a 15-metre dead hedge. The hedge aims to increase biodiversity, provide shelter and a food source for wildlife.
• Choosing single headed flowers for our spring and summer bedding so as to support pollinating insects. 
• Mulching with soil improver from a local contractor and using home-grown compost from garden waste on the flower beds to lock in moisture and reduce the need for watering.
• Our compost is peat free, and baskets and troughs have reservoirs so that no water is wasted. 
• Organising an annual Sustainability Festival. 
• Supporting a monthly Repair Café so that residents have the chance to have broken items repaired rather than sent to landfill. 
• Schools continue to be involved in Farnham in Bloom. Students from Farnham Heath End School have chosen plants from our nursery for their courtyard garden. They chose plants beneficial to wildlife and attractive to pollinators. 
• Seeking advice from a national expert in hydrology, geomorphology and plant ecology on steps that can be taken to enhance the stretch of the River Wey that runs through Gostrey Meadow. 
• Installing bat and bug boxes to increase wildlife. 
• Adopting No Mow May in parts of our cemeteries. 
• Introducing a cycle to work scheme for staff.