Richmond upon Thames is in the top 20 of single-tier councils for climate action and ranks 15th in London, according to Climate Emergency UK, publishing their second edition of the Council Climate Action Scorecards on 17th June 2025.
Assessed by volunteers, the scorecards review all UK councils every two years on the actions they’ve taken towards net zero. This includes supporting renewable energy, creating more space for nature, and providing better public transport.
Richmond Council scored 61% overall, increasing by 10% since 2023, compared to a London average of 57% (up by 8%) and a UK average of 40% (up by only 5%).
Eight out of ten councils improved their scores on the 2023 assessment. These included Islington, which rose to the top of the UK chart with 70% (up by 12%). Richmond’s neighbouring boroughs included Hammersmith and Fulham (69%, up by 9%), Hounslow (60%, up by 7%), Kingston (56%, up by 7%) and Wandsworth (67%, up by 17%), with whom Richmond Council shares staff.
The scores break down into seven categories, with 58 councils achieving over 80% in one or more sections. Richmond scored highest in Planning & Land Use (85%, up by 12%), Collaboration & Engagement (76%, up by 8%) and Biodiversity (71%, up by 33%); however, the Council needs to improve urgently on Waste Reduction & Food (27%, up by just 2%), and Transport (54%, up by 6%), incurring penalties over air pollution. Richmond also lost points in the Buildings & Heating section (49%, down by 7%) for lacking staff to work on retrofitting, unlike more than three-quarters of other single-tier councils.
Richmond and Twickenham Green Party cautiously welcomes these findings.
The Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Andrée Frieze, said: “We welcome Richmond Council’s improvement in its action on the climate crisis as these improved scorecards show. One area the Council could quickly improve upon further is on waste reduction and food. Introducing fortnightly black bag collections, which we have been calling for, would both save the Council money and increase its recycling rates.”
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Chas Warlow, said: “At a time when our Labour government is hell-bent on growth at all costs, Richmond Council’s climate scorecard results show the value of cross-party collaboration on the most important issue of our times. Richmond residents can be sure that their Green councillors are focusing LibDem hearts and minds on this crucial work.”
| Richmond’s performance on… | 2025 score | 2023 score |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings & Heating | 49% | 56% |
| Transport | 54% | 48% |
| Planning & Land Use | 85% | 73% |
| Governance & Finance | 61% | 31% |
| Biodiversity | 71% | 38% |
| Collaboration & Engagement | 76% | 68% |
| Waste Reduction & Food | 27% | 25% |
| Richmond’s overall score | 61% | 51% |
Full details of the report are available on the Council Climate Action Scorecards website:
https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/councils/london-borough-of-richmond-upon-thames
