Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's plans to tackle climate change have been ranked the second highest in the country.

Climate Emergency UK assessed plans published by local councils and scored Moorlands at 87% - the second highest score in the rankings for district councils.

The criteria against which plans were assessed included:

- Are the plans costed?

- Do the actions have a clear goal?

- Are local people being engaged with?

- Do the plans go beyond the Council's own emissions and look at how to cut the whole area's emissions? Councillor Joe Porter, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said: "We welcome this scrutiny of our plans by Climate Emergency UK and, of course, we're delighted to be the second highest rated District Council in the country. "That our plans have been externally reviewed and rated amongst the best means people can have full confidence that we are serious in our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. "But that rating alone does not equal success. Tackling climate change is not an option and we now need to work with our residents, businesses and partners across the Moorlands to turn these plans into action. We can all consider making small, or bigger, changes to how we live and work that will have a real impact. "It's great news to receive this recognition but the hard work starts now - turning the plans into reality is what we will really be judged on by those who will inherit the environment and planet we leave behind so there really is no time like the present!"

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