City Science worked with Mid Sussex District Council to deliver an Emission Progress Report and Action Plan designed to support the Council’s journey toward achieving its net zero targets. This comprehensive project involved calculating the Council’s corporate carbon footprint to measure progress against its baseline, refining its existing net zero pathway, collaborating with key stakeholders to develop a detailed and actionable delivery plan, and creating an interactive dashboard to facilitate ongoing monitoring of progress.
Figure 1: Mid Sussex region covered in this study
City Science Response
Emission Calculations: We undertook a detailed calculation of Mid Sussex District Council’s organisational emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 to establish a clear understanding of their current carbon footprint. This analysis allowed us to determine the progress made since the baseline reporting period and to identify the scale of action required to meet the Council’s net zero objectives. Using spend-based and activity-based data provided by the council, we conducted a granular assessment of emissions across key categories, such as energy consumption, vehicle fleets, and procurement.
Pathway: Building on the emissions analysis, we co-developed a refined Net Zero Pathway tailored to the Council’s unique context. This process included facilitating a focused workshop with Council stakeholders to collaboratively define pathway assumptions and ambitions, ensuring alignment across departments.
To clarify potential outcomes, we developed two distinct scenarios:
- Do-Nothing Scenario: A counterfactual model demonstrating the implications of inaction, highlighting the risks associated with following current plans without additional interventions.
- Operational Net Zero Scenario: A comprehensive plan detailing the scale and types of actions required across key emitting sectors—including buildings, fleet operations, and procurement—to achieve net zero. This was tailored to two specific net zero goals – one focused on near term priorities (e.g. direct emissions by 2040) and longer term ambitions (e.g. indirect by 2050).
These scenarios provided a clear framework for decision-making, illustrating both the necessity and feasibility of ambitious action.
Figure 2: Sectoral Emissions Forecast Under the Organisational Net Zero Pathway (City Science, 2024).
Climate Action Plan: The project had progressed to the Action Plan development stage, during which we engaged extensively with stakeholders to expand eight pre-existing high-level action areas into mini-business cases that supported prioritisation and implementation. Our process included:
- 1:1 Stakeholder Engagement: Conducting in-depth consultations with departmental leads to understand specific challenges and opportunities.
- Action Development Workshops: Collaborating with stakeholders to co-create actionable and practical interventions tailored to the Council’s operational structure.
- Implementation Workshops: Focusing on translating plans into practical steps, ensuring that identified actions are realistic and deliverable.
- Consultation Sessions with Senior Leaders: Engaging senior leadership to provide updates on the work to date, secure buy-in, and align the plan with overarching strategic goals.
These workshops and consultations ensured that all actions are rooted in stakeholder insights, thoroughly vetted, and supported at all levels of the organisation.
Dashboard/Toolkit: To support the Council’s ongoing progress, we’ve developed an interactive dashboard that will allow for real-time monitoring of net zero performance. This tool provides transparency, enable data-driven decision-making, and empower the Council to adapt as needed to stay on track toward its targets.
Outcome
Our work culminated in a suite of impactful deliverables designed to empower Mid Sussex District Council in its journey toward net zero. These included a detailed assessment of the Council’s decarbonisation progress, a comprehensive net zero scenario forecasting the actions needed through 2040 across key sectors and emissions, and a co-produced, refreshed Action Plan. This plan included actionable insights on funding options, costs, carbon impacts, risks, and key performance indicators. Additionally, an independent, user-friendly monitoring toolkit enabled the Council to track and effectively communicate progress toward net zero.