New Climate Action Plan boosts Dartmoor National Park’s pledge to reach net zero

Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) has strengthened its Organisational Climate Action Plan, setting out new targets for cutting emissions from its buildings, vehicles, operations and supply chains in the years ahead.

The updated plan, adopted at an Authority meeting earlier this month, now aligns with the international Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and, for the first time, includes both the Authority’s direct and indirect emissions.

A DNPA spokesperson said the revised plan sends a clear signal about the organisation’s commitment to taking responsibility for its own environmental impact.

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“It’s good news for Dartmoor. People, rightly, expect organisations charged with caring for the environment to behave responsibly and we are,” they said.

“Dartmoor National Park Authority declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019, recognising the urgent need for action, and adopted its first Climate Action Plan in March 2020, a real demonstration of leadership and commitment. We have now updated and strengthened that plan.”

The spokesperson added that the new plan sets out how DNPA will respond to the climate crisis in a way that is “robust, transparent and consistent with what the latest climate science requires.”

They stressed that the plan applies to the Authority as an organisation, not to the wider National Park, although DNPA continues to work with many partners across Dartmoor on climate and nature recovery projects.

Short-term priorities for the Authority

The Authority says it will focus on the most achievable emissions-cutting actions first, with flexibility to take bigger steps if funding and capacity allow.

Planned actions fall across five main areas:

• Buildings and energy use
• Fleet and transport
• Staff commuting
• Procurement and supply chains
• Organisational culture and governance

How progress will be measured

DNPA confirmed it will continue to publish annual updates on its organisational carbon emissions, as it has done since 2020.

Its monitoring approach includes:

• Yearly emissions reporting
• An annual review of the Climate Action Plan
• Updating actions in response to new evidence or operational changes
• A formal review of targets at least every five years
• Regular progress reports shared with other UK National Parks and partners

The Authority says it will also reassess its 2050 net-zero target during each five-year review, with the aim of bringing the date forward “where possible”.

How the plan links to wider strategies

DNPA says the updated plan strengthens the organisation’s leadership role in responding to the climate crisis and ensures climate considerations are built into its decisions.

Wider climate work on Dartmoor also sits within the Partnership Plan, currently being updated, and the Local Plan, which includes policies on sustainable development, biodiversity net gain and reducing energy use.

DNPA also worked with partners on the Devon Carbon Plan, which sets out a county-wide pathway to net-zero.