The Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Wandsworth Council was scheduled to discuss progress on the borough's environment and sustainability strategy, as well as the council's investment in play areas, parks, and open spaces. The committee was also set to review its action tracker.

Update on the Wandsworth Environment and Sustainability Strategy

A report was scheduled to be presented to the committee detailing the progress made in delivering the Wandsworth Environment and Sustainability Strategy (WESS) and the Wandsworth Climate Action Plan. The report highlighted a significant year of progress in making the borough more sustainable, including achieving CDP A List status for the third consecutive year and reducing organisational carbon emissions by 6.6% between 2023/24 and 2024/25.

Key achievements outlined in the report included:

• Securing £4.7 million through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) to upgrade five council sites with heat pumps, solar PV, insulation, and LED lighting.
• Expanding the borough's electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint network to 1,642, alongside increased cycling infrastructure and 346 bike hangars.
• Strengthening air quality monitoring with new low-cost sensors and a regulatory programme aimed at reducing construction-related emissions.
• The completion of a new Biodiversity Action Plan, developed with community involvement and extensive data collection on over 4,000 recorded species and 31 biodiversity sites.
• The distribution of 1,500 Warm Home Packs to support residents with energy efficiency.
• An increase in recycling rates to 29.27% in Q2, the highest ever recorded in Wandsworth, as part of the Cleaner Borough Plan.
• The expansion of Sustainable September to 100 events across the borough, with thousands of participants.
• Deepened partnerships through the Net Zero Roundtable and the Sustainability Network.

The report also detailed borough-wide carbon emissions, which have reduced from 1688.2 kilotons of CO2e in 2005 to 771.8 ktCO2e in 2023, a reduction of 54.3%. Per capita emissions have also decreased from 6.8 tons CO2e per person in 2005 to 2.8 tons CO2e per person in 2023. Domestic sources account for 42.2% of total borough emissions, with gas use for heating and cooking being a significant factor.

The council's organisational carbon emissions have also seen a reduction, with a 7.2% decrease between 2023/24 and 2024/25, and a 53.6% decrease since 2018/19. This includes a 27.9% reduction in scope 1 emissions. The council has been purchasing zero-carbon electricity since October 2020.

The report noted progress in decarbonising council buildings, including upgrades at Putney Leisure Centre, Oakdene Residential, Gwynneth Morgan, Falcon Grove, and the Town Hall Extension. Modernisation work is also addressing energy efficiency in leisure centres. The new Responsible Procurement Strategy, adopted in June 2025, includes provisions for suppliers to tackle the climate emergency. Wandsworth achieved Bronze Carbon Literate Organisation status in early 2025, with over 250 staff trained.

In terms of sustainable transport, the report highlighted the completion of an electric vehicle lamp column chargepoint installation programme, bringing the total to 1,642 EV chargepoints. Significant progress has been made in enhancing cycling infrastructure, with 346 on-street bike hangars installed and plans for more. The council has also been involved in Transport for London's e-scooter trial and has rolled out 31 school streets.

Air quality improvements were also detailed, with the 2025 Annual Status Report showing continued improvement. New low-cost real-time air quality monitors are being procured, and significant work has been done on construction-related pollution control. The report also mentioned ongoing projects aligned with the borough's Air Quality Action Plan, including Healthy Waterways and Anti Idling London.

Decarbonising buildings across the borough is a key focus, with 1,500 Warm Home Packs distributed to residents. Wandsworth is part of the pan-London consortium for the Warm Homes Local Grant, which has secured £55 million in funding. The council's housing stock is also undergoing decarbonisation, with £800,000 secured to improve 77 properties.

Biodiversity and green spaces are also a priority, with the development of the Wild Wandsworth: Biodiversity Action Plan 2026–2031. The report noted achievements such as 12 Wandsworth parks winning Green Flag Awards and the securing of planning permission for the Swaffield Road Pocket Park.

Waste reduction efforts include the Cleaner Borough Plan, which has seen recycling rates increase to 29.27% and has diverted nearly 5,000 tonnes of food waste. A new online store for repurposed items has been launched by REWORK. The One World Living programme, focused on the circular economy, is closing, but Wandsworth has led the textiles workstream and been involved in the plastics workstream.

Climate adaptation and resilience measures include the parklets programme and efforts to improve community resilience to extreme heat. The council's Adaptation and Resilience Strategy aims to embed these principles across the organisation.

Communication, engagement, and partnership efforts include the Wandsworth Sustainability Network, Sustainable September, and the Wandsworth Net Zero Partnership Roundtable. The Climate Action Microgrants programme has awarded 35 grants in 2024/25 and 40 in 2025/26. The council has also expanded its support for businesses wanting to reduce their carbon emissions through schemes like Making Businesses Greener and Wandsworth Spark.

The report concluded by stating that a refreshed action plan for 2026/27 will be provided to Cabinet in June 2026, building on the progress made.

Council's Investment into Play Areas, Parks and Open Spaces

A report was scheduled to provide an overview of the council's investment in play areas, open spaces, and parks over the past year, highlighting achievements and challenges. It was also intended to outline key features for the upcoming year and demonstrate the collaborative working across various council departments.

Key points from the report included:

• Twelve of Wandsworth's parks and green spaces were awarded Green Flag status, an increase from seven in the previous year.
• The Transforming Tooting Triangle engagement hub was launched to involve residents in shaping the future of this green space, with plans for flood resilience, play area upgrades, and facility enhancements.
• The council is finalising a comprehensive Biodiversity Action Plan, which will set out priorities and actions for nature recovery.
• The council is investing over £15 million in new and refurbished play spaces, with projects scheduled for completion between March 2025 and May 2028.
• Ten capital projects were completed by December 2025, with six more due by March 2026, and five more scheduled to start on-site by March 2026.
• Positive feedback has been received from residents regarding recent projects, including improvements at Tooting Common and Garratt Park.
• The report detailed a methodology for understanding local needs and testing solutions, including the use of the Commonplace website for engagement.
• Actions have been taken to protect air quality and green/blue spaces, with biodiversity net gain considered in development projects and a minimum weighting of 10% social value applied in project tenders.
• The total approved investment for play areas, parks, and open spaces is £15,502,730, funded through existing capital budgets.

Committee Action Tracker

The committee was scheduled to consider its Action Tracker, which summarises the status of actions arising from previous meetings. The report provided an end-of-municipal-year summary of work taken against actions requested by the committee since changes to the council's governance arrangements took effect in June 2025.

The tracker detailed progress on actions related to:

• The Biodiversity Action Plan, with recommendations passed to Cabinet for response.
• Tree Management and Resident Engagement, with recommendations also passed to Cabinet.
• The outcome of the Women and Girls Sports Task and Finish Group, with a note regarding future committee work programming.
• The Library Strategy, with income generation figures to be made available and ongoing work on the rollout of mini-museums, starting with Putney Library.
• Corporate Plan Actions and KPIs Performance, including a report on missed waste collections presented to the November 2025 committee meeting.
• Air Quality Action Plan updates, with ongoing conversations with local councillors regarding monitoring areas.
• Wandsworth Moves Together updates, including a list of 'no-ball games' signs to be removed from council-owned estates and enhanced traffic management enforcement requested on Greaves Place.
• Cleaner Borough Phase 2 updates, including the fixing of refuse enclosures on Weybridge Point and ongoing liaison with residents regarding waste collection changes.
• Lead Local Flood Authority updates, with ongoing work to disseminate information to residents about eco-friendly choices for works, such as permeable paving.