A HARLOW councillor has challenged the Conservative run council on a number of climate issues.

Councillor Jake Shepherd to Councillor Nicky Purse (Portfolio Holder for Environment and Enforcement):

From April to June 2026, Climate Emergency UK will once again be marking councils climate action using their scorecards. In 2023, Harlow was surpassed by Stevenage, Basildon, East Hertfordshire and Uttlesford Councils. What steps will this Council take to ensure that Harlow is best placed to demonstrate meaningful climate action by the time of the next set of results?

Reply from Councillor Nicky Purse (Portfolio Holder for Environment and Enforcement):

Thank you, Councillor Shepherd, for your question.

The Climate Emergency UK scorecards are a useful benchmarking tool, independently assessed based on information councils have publicly presented.

As such, they are largely a measure of how well activity is documented and evidenced, rather than always reflecting the full picture of delivery on the ground.

There are areas where Harlow is making clear progress particularly in Buildings and Heating, where our score has improved and we are continuing to deliver practical environmental work across the town, including biodiversity, drainage, and community-led initiatives.

At the same time, the scorecard highlights that we need to strengthen how we capture, structure and evidence that work, particularly in areas such as governance, engagement, and reporting.

It is also worth noting that some elements, such as transport and wider recycling performance, sit beyond direct district control and can influence overall scoring.

Our focus is therefore on ensuring that the work we are already delivering is more clearly demonstrated and aligned to national benchmarking expectations.

This is not about chasing a score, but about making sure that Harlow’s progress is properly recognised and I am confident that this will be reflected in future assessments.