Turning climate and nature ambition into an action plan for South Cambridgeshire District Council
The big challenge
South Cambridgeshire District Council is already experiencing impacts of the climate and ecological crisis, such as water scarcity, extreme heat, and biodiversity loss, while also trying to accommodate rapid population growth and development pressures.
The Council had ambitious climate and nature goals, but translating those ambitions into a final Climate and Nature Strategy required additional capacity, specialist insight and getting broad stakeholder buy-in – which is where we came in. The challenge was not simply deciding what action to take, but precisely how to balance climate action, nature recovery and sustainable growth in a rapidly changing district.
The big opportunities
There was a clear opportunity to strengthen the Council’s draft Climate and Nature Strategy by bringing together local climate and nature evidence, analysing best practice and consolidating feedback from internal stakeholders and the public.
Our review would help test whether the proposed actions were ambitious, practical and deliverable, while identifying gaps, barriers and priority areas raised by residents, businesses, organisations and council officers. This would help ensure the final recommendations reflected local climate risks and community priorities, while also including the practical support needed to enable action across the district.
Our people-shaped support
Drawing on our decades of experience helping organisations translate ambitious sustainability goals into practical action, we helped South Cambridgeshire create a stronger foundation for long-term climate and nature leadership.
We acted as a critical friend throughout the structured review and refinement process, helping council officers test ideas, challenge assumptions and prioritise the actions most likely to create meaningful impact.
This included reviewing the draft strategy against climate and nature best practice, carrying out a full gap analysis, and bringing together internal stakeholder input and public consultation results.
By bringing all this together, we helped turn a complex set of climate and nature ambitions into a clearer, more achievable roadmap for change.
The big impact
The new Climate and Nature Strategy and Action Plan represents a clearer route from ambition to delivery, with prioritised actions and more robust evidence.
Our support helped create a strategy that responds to local climate risks, reflects the community and tackles barriers identified through consultation and stakeholder engagement.
Grounded in evidence, shaped by local insight, and made accessible for different audiences, it has given the council greater confidence in how climate and nature goals can be achieved across the district.
You've found your people
We're here to tackle planet-sized sustainability goals. So if you've got big plans, you’ve found your people.
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Brilliantly business-literate
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Collaborative and flexible
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We make it easy
Thank you
We'll be in touch within two working days.
