Adur & Worthing Councils more than half way toward carbon neutrality
Released: Wednesday, 14 October 2026
We're more than halfway towards reaching our mission of becoming carbon neutral.
In 2019, we declared a climate emergency and pledged to achieve carbon neutrality across our operations by 2030, committing to play our part in protecting the environment and tackling climate change.
Since making this commitment, we've achieved significant milestones in reducing emissions from our buildings and operations. This has included electrifying sections of our vehicle fleet, installing solar panels on our buildings and improving their energy efficiency, installing ground source heat pumps at Adur Homes sites, and more.
More recently, huge gains have been made by decarbonising our fleet. All diesel-powered vehicles have now moved to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a milestone that is estimated to be reducing fleet carbon emissions by around 90%.
In 2019/20, the councils' total annual emissions - including electricity, gas and fleet emissions - were 3,032 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). By 2025/26, this had fallen to 1,387 tCO₂e, representing a 54% reduction in total emissions.
We're currently trialling an electric refuse collection vehicle to assess the technology in real-world operating conditions and help inform future fleet decisions. In addition to this, we have been awarded a grant to convert an existing diesel vehicle to an electric drivetrain, with the vehicle expected to enter service in early 2027.
Councillor Andy Harvey, Adur's cabinet member for environment, said:
“I'm delighted that we're making such great progress on our journey to becoming carbon neutral, although our 2030 target remains a challenge.
“As a local council, I believe it's important that we lead by example, and it's been fantastic to see some of the innovative projects we've introduced and supported in recent years that are making a difference to the environment.
“From air source heat pumps and solar panels to ground source heat pumps at Shadwells Court that are also providing cheaper heating bills for residents, we've introduced a range of actions with our partners that are making positive changes to how we live, work and travel.”
Progress also continues to be made on the Worthing Heat Network, which is helping us reduce our buildings' emissions. Worthing Town Hall, Worthing Hospital, Worthing Assembly Hall, Portland House, Connaught Theatre and Worthing Museum & Gallery are connected, with work underway to add Splashpoint Leisure Centre and Pavilion Theatre.
The benefits of the network are expected to be maximised later this year, when the project's air source heat pump system will be commissioned at High Street multi-storey car park. Alongside replacing older gas heating systems, grant funding has enabled energy efficiency improvements across these buildings, including new windows, improved insulation and modern building management systems.
Worthing Crematorium presents unique challenges in our journey towards carbon neutrality. We continue to operate long-standing filtration systems that remove atmospheric pollutants before emissions are released through the flue stack, while managing the cremators as efficiently as possible to minimise gas consumption. We're also exploring further opportunities to reduce the crematorium's environmental impact, including appropriate measures to offset emissions.
Councillor Martin McCabe, Worthing's cabinet member for environment, said:
“It's encouraging to see how far we've come in reducing carbon emissions across our buildings and operations in Worthing.
“The Worthing Heat Network is one of the first of its kind in the UK, and can make a real difference in helping the town move away from gas heating and towards cleaner, more energy-efficient buildings. Alongside this, we're continuing to explore new ways to reduce emissions and make our services more sustainable.
“There's still work to do, but this progress shows what can be achieved through commitment, innovation and working together. We'll continue to build on these achievements as we work towards a more sustainable future for the area.”
Working in partnership is another important part of our journey. We continue to collaborate with organisations such as South Downs Leisure, which delivers services from our buildings, to identify and explore further opportunities to cut emissions.
External funding secured through successful grant applications has been vital in enabling most of our carbon reduction projects to date. We will continue to pursue funding opportunities to support this important work, while balancing the financial pressures of delivering essential services for our community.
Our ambition extends beyond our own operations. Alongside the target of becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030, we set a goal for Adur and Worthing to become a net-zero area by 2045. This broader ambition includes emissions from homes, transport, businesses and other activities across the area.
Achieving area-wide net-zero status will be a significantly greater challenge, requiring collective action, substantial investment and strong policy support from central government.
Every milestone brings us closer to our goals, and we remain committed to making meaningful progress towards a more sustainable future for Adur and Worthing.
To find out more about our carbon management progress, see:
Photos: Air source heat pumps at The Shoreham Centre, our new waste and recycling fleet, solar panels at Wadurs Swimming Pool and Worthing Town Hall
(PR26-091)
Page last updated: 14 October 2026