Net Zero Delivery 2025 in Reflection: A Year of Progress and Partnership

Now it’s firmly 2026, Plymouth City Council is reflecting on the accomplishments of the Net Zero Action Plan for the city in 2025.

From highways to housing, fleet services to facilities management, planning to procurement, it’s been incredible to witness the support and collaboration across the Council to build a greener future for Plymouth. The Net Zero Action Plan has driven real, measurable change for the city.

Here’s what’s been achieved in 2025:

Lighting the Way to Lower Emissions

The Street Services teams have transformed Plymouth’s street lighting infrastructure. 11,000 streetlights – a third of all streetlights across the city – have now been fitted with improved control and management systems, with a 20% reduction profile now in place. This not only reduces carbon footprint but also delivers long-term cost savings for the Council.

In addition, a quarter of illuminated traffic island bollards have been replaced with more economical alternatives, shining a light on furthering energy efficiency across the network.

Building Greener Homes

The Housing and Regeneration team have delivered tangible results for residents this year. Eight highly energy-efficient flats at North Prospect Library have been completed through the Eco-Homes programme, providing warmer, more affordable homes while reducing emissions, while Community Connections upgraded two Youth Centres to be cosier and less costly. These projects showcase how retrofitting existing buildings to meet the needs of both people and planet.

Meanwhile the Council has also secured £3M from the Government and have been actively working with Plymouth Energy Community to deliver the Warm Homes Local Grant with plans to retrofit a further 200 homes in the city. This brings the tally to 993 homes retrofitted through similar schemes across Plymouth.

Strictly Energising

The Council have been scrutinising its energy footprint in 2025. There are now 35 meters measuring solar PV across 18 sites and a brand-new Building Energy Management System.

Heat decarb plans have been coordinated for Mount Edgcumbe, Burrington Way, East End Business Centre and Derriford Registry office and energy improvement strategies have been developed across the sites. Circa 50 commercial sites with the first pilot project due to kick off in spring 2026.

A £3.4M invest to save programme to save the Council vital pounds is now waltzing its way to fruition. This programme involves retrofitting buildings with a focus on efficiency first to save both energy and money bringing down carbon emissions in the process.

Connecting Businesses with Tangible Solutions

In November 2025, Plymouth hosted its first Net Zero Expo, responding to local business needs with support from the Economic Development team. The event brought together over 170 business leaders and changemakers for a day of insightful discussions, interactive activities and networking opportunities. More than 30 local organisations showcased innovative solutions, marking a significant milestone in Plymouth’s collaborative journey toward achieving net zero.

The Net Zero Expo caps another successful engagement year where no less than 197,500 people were reached through the Climate Connections channels. The initiative ran a whopping 29 events, meeting 3,000 people in person over the year and drove a further 107,568 interactions on Climate Connections website.

Transforming Plymouth City Council’s Fleet

The Street Services team reached another impressive milestone this year. 70 PCC fleet cars and light vans are now electric, a significant step forward in decarbonising the Council’s operations. A study was also completed to determine the electrification requirements for the HGV fleet, laying the groundwork for further emissions reductions in the years ahead.

To support staff in making greener travel choices, the HR team implemented an Electric and Hybrid Cars salary sacrifice scheme, making it easier for employees to switch to low-emission vehicles.

At the same time, 28 pop-up EV charge point sockets were reinstated in the city centre, added a further 32 rapid EV charge points and secured £1M of funding to deliver over 1,400 on street sockets by 2028, electrifying the city’s streets for years to come.

Charging ahead with Sustainable Transport

The Sustainable Transport team played a key role in securing the funding for 50 zero-emission buses which are now operational on the city’s busiest, most congested routes, helping all city centre residents to breathe a little easier. The team has also factored traffic light priority for buses into the new Real Time Passenger Information Contract, which is due to commence in Spring 2026, making public transport faster and more reliable. Plymotion funding has also been secured to at least March 2027, ensuring continued investment in active travel infrastructure across the city.

2025 marks the completion of the Connect Plymouth roll-out. Over 600,000km have been ridden on Beryl Bikes in Plymouth since launch! The City Car Club continues to expand and the Mobility Hub on Mayflower St secured national recognition with a Gold Award from CoMoUK for providing safe, accessible, sustainable transport options!

Looking ahead, an expression of interest has been submitted for participation in the Department of Transport’s e-scooter trial scheme, exploring new options for sustainable urban mobility.

Circular Economy and Beyond

The Waste and Recycling Teams are expanding capacity to deliver Plymouth’s food waste collection project, with two recycling officers now recruited to assist with the roll-out.

Talking of waste, did you know that Plymouth is also home to the UK’s first EV battery recycling pilot? This facility is now open in the city, supporting a more sustainable and resilient transition to electric vehicles while reducing waste!

Last, but not least, the Procurement team introduced Climate Contract Weighting to help ensure the Council selects suppliers that can demonstrate their commitment to net zero and sustainable business practice.

Looking Ahead

There is still much more to do. But looking back on this year, you can see the real progress that’s been made and the difference that collaboration, commitment and shared ambition can achieve.

Together, we’re building a cleaner, greener, more sustainable Plymouth.