Three more years of climate and nature action celebrated in Exmouth

Exmouth Town Council is celebrating three more years of sustained climate and nature action, during which its ambitions have developed into a nationally recognised programme of practical projects, popular events and community partnerships.

Led by the Council’s Climate Officer, with the commitment of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Working Party and support from community partners such as Sideshore, the programme has delivered action across five key areas: waste, food, energy, transport and the natural environment. The achievements provide a strong foundation for the Council’s next three-year climate and sustainability strategy.

Practical action on waste and reuse

The Exmouth Reusable Cup Scheme has become an established part of the town’s efforts to reduce single-use waste, while nine cigarette-butt ballot bins have been installed across Exmouth to ‘keep butts off the beach’! Regular clothes swaps continue to grow in popularity, with the latest event attracting more than 130 people and circulating 30 sacks of clothing.

The Council has also delivered eight workshops in primary schools, Exmouth Community College and the Deaf Academy to promote reusable period products. This work is now developing into research with the University of Exeter, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, exploring barriers to use and links to period poverty.

Samudra, Exmouth’s co-created plastic-eating sea serpent, also generated considerable public interest and provided valuable learning about local recycling capacity and the practical delivery of waste initiatives.

Encouraging plant-based choices

Exmouth Town Council has endorsed an Exmouth-specific Plant Based Treaty and made its climate and nature events fully plant-based, with plant-based choices offered across all Council events. A packed screening of I Could Never Go Vegan resulted in more than 80% of previously non-vegan audience members saying they intended to stop eating meat and dairy.Campaigns including Veganuary, No Meat May and Vegan for a Month have been supported through engaging blogs, events and a monthly plant-based bring-and-share at the Eco Hub at Sideshore.

Supporting lower-carbon energy

Solar panels at Gorfin Hall are helping to reduce energy bills and provide sustainable charging for the Council’s upcycled electric Eco Tuk Tuk. Household energy campaigns, including Stay Warm and Save Money and a larger retrofit initiative delivered with Exeter Community Energy, have provided important insight into the barriers residents face when considering home improvements. These lessons will help the Council develop more targeted and accessible approaches in the future.

The acquisition of Exmouth Town Hall also creates an important new opportunity. Research and planning will be needed to explore how the building can become carbon neutral, with the Council aiming to lead by example and share what it learns with the wider community.

Making active travel part of the conversation

Working with Sideshore and Transition Exmouth, the Climate Officer convenes Active Travel Exmouth, bringing organisations and residents together to understand local barriers and encourage walking, cycling and public transport. Well-attended community bike rides and a lively Active Travel presence at Exmouth Festival have helped take the conversation directly to residents in an engaging and accessible way.

Creating space for nature

The Exmouth Town Maintenance Team does not use pesticides, and perennial planting across the town continues to increase year on year. Living roofs have been installed on suitable bus shelters, while campaigns have encouraged residents to create hedgehog highways, provide water for wildlife, rewild their gardens and install swift boxes and bee bricks. The Council continues to support tree planting wherever suitable opportunities arise, and four water butts are now helping to harvest rainwater across the town.

Building a stronger community network

One of the greatest successes of the past three years has been connecting and supporting local organisations so that more can be achieved together. Packed People’s Emergency Briefing screenings, schools eco forums and Climate and Nature Network meetings have strengthened local collaboration. More than 30 Green Team volunteers are now involved, while subscriptions to the Council’s regular climate and nature newsletter have doubled year on year.

The upcycled, solar-powered Eco Tuk Tuk will build on this work by becoming a flexible Mobile Eco Hub, taking information, activities and interactive displays to different communities, venues and events.

The Council has also worked with Visit Exmouth, local businesses and community organisations to launch Sustainable Shores – the Exmouth Way, encouraging residents, visitors and organisations to tread more lightly.

Alongside the Arts Manager, the Council has reduced the carbon footprint of Exmouth Festival and developed a methodology that other event organisers can use. Sustainability is now embedded throughout the festival without changing its identity as an inclusive community celebration.

Nicky Nicholls, Chair of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Working Party, said:

“Over the past three years, we have moved from ambition to sustained delivery. This has only been possible because of the exceptional hard work and dedication of our Climate Officer, the commitment of our Working Party and the enthusiasm of the many community groups, organisations, volunteers and residents who have worked alongside us.

“Together, we have shown that climate and nature action can be practical, positive and enjoyable – bringing people together while making a genuine difference to our town.”

Building on what works

The programme has helped the Council understand which approaches achieve the greatest impact.

Visible and practical initiatives, enjoyable shared experiences, trusted partnerships and sustained community involvement have proved particularly successful. The Council has also learned the importance of making lower-impact choices easier and creating opportunities that appeal to people who may not already consider themselves environmentally engaged.

These lessons will shape the next three-year strategy, concentrating resources on proven approaches, extending their reach and measuring outcomes more consistently. Activities that have achieved limited impact will be refined or discontinued.

The Town Hall and Eco Tuk Tuk create exciting opportunities for the next phase of this work. Sustained progress will also depend upon adequate Officer capacity, continued commitment from councillors and a clear programme of information, education and support for the growing Green Team.

Zoey Cooper, Climate Officer, said:

“This is a moment to celebrate how far Exmouth has come, but also to look ahead with confidence. We now have stronger partnerships, valuable experience and an increasingly engaged community. The foundations are in place for an ambitious new strategy that will help Exmouth continue to lead, learn and inspire others.”

For more information, please contact climate@exmouth.gov.uk, phone 01395276167 or pop into the Town Hall.