The Sustainable Development Select Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, to review updates on the council's biodiversity efforts and its Climate Action Plan. The committee will also discuss its work programme for the upcoming year.

Biodiversity Update 2021-25

The committee is set to receive an update on the council's Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for the period 2021-25, as well as its strengthened biodiversity duty under the Environment Act 2021. The report, which is scheduled for discussion, summarises key achievements, ongoing projects, priorities, and challenges. It is intended to inform the council's statutory Biodiversity Duty reporting, which is due by the end of March 2026. The update will cover progress on priority species and habitats, volunteer engagement, and various biodiversity projects funded through grants such as the GLA's Rewild London Fund and the Local Authorities Treescapes Fund. Challenges such as limited funding, legislative changes, and difficulties in managing privately owned land will also be addressed. Future plans include the development of a Local Nature Recovery Plan to replace the current BAP and the continuation of projects like the Ladywell Fields River Restoration.

Climate Action Plan Update 2025/26

This report will provide an update on Lewisham Council's Climate Action Plan. The committee's feedback is intended to inform the annual update to Mayor and Cabinet scheduled for June 2026. The report highlights Lewisham's performance in the 2025 Climate Emergency UK Scorecards, where the borough achieved an overall score of 66%, placing it in the top 3% of local authorities. It details reductions in territorial greenhouse gas emissions since 2005 and compares Lewisham's emissions to London and UK averages. The report also outlines the council's corporate CO2 emissions, showing a 25% reduction since 2018/19, and details achievements and challenges across the five themes of the Climate Action Plan: decarbonisation and net zero ambitions, and identification and response to climate risks. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to the Climate Budget, outlining estimated decarbonisation costs and forecasts for corporate buildings, schools, fleet, street lighting, housing, and leisure centres. The report also details progress on sustainable housing, including the Housing Retrofit Strategy and grant-funded programmes, as well as efforts in transport, such as the Sustainable Streets programme, EV charging expansion, and the Healthy Neighbourhoods initiative. Updates on trees, climate adaptation, flood risk management, waste and recycling, and school engagement are also included.

Select Committee Work Programme Report

The committee will have the opportunity to review and potentially revise its work programme for the upcoming year. This includes considering items scheduled for future meetings, identifying necessary information for officer reports, and reviewing the forward plan of key decisions to determine if any warrant further scrutiny. The committee's terms of reference, which cover planning, regeneration, environmental services, refuse and recycling, climate change, and parks and green spaces, will guide this review. The report also outlines a prioritisation process for new issues and encourages members to consider the most effective means of scrutiny, whether through a full meeting, a briefing, or other methods. The next meeting's agenda items are confirmed as a waste services review, a performance monitoring of the climate emergency action plan, and flood risk management.

The Forward Plan of Key Decisions for January to April 2026 is also included, outlining upcoming executive decisions that the committee may wish to scrutinise. These include matters related to property acquisitions, contract awards for services such as contact centres and waste management, and proposals for school expansions and housing projects.