Fire service launches its first sustainability strategy to address climate impact

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has announced the launch of its first ever Sustainability Strategy, aimed at improving the service’s efficiency while mitigating the impact it has on the planet.

The climate emergency has been recognised by fire and rescue services across the country and, over the last two decades, services have responded to a growing number of emergency incidents that are associated with the effects of climate change.

You can watch Emergency Services Times previous webinar series on demand which looked at the effects of climate change:

The heatwave in the summer of 2022, which saw record breaking temperatures in England, and the flooding earlier this year are just two recent examples of climate related incidents that have increased demand on the Service’s resources.

“As a service, we recognise the climate emergency, and the socioeconomic issues that it is causing both globally and locally.

“Sustainability cannot be defined as a single goal or objective. It feeds into everything we do as a service and necessitated us taking a cross-functional approach that will be enabled by this ambitious strategy. To this end, the strategy has been created to guide the service as we look to reduce the impact we have on the environment while fostering social inclusion and economic development within the communities we serve.”
Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer, RBFRS.

The Sustainability Strategy aligns to the service’s Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) for 2023-2027, which outlines a need to develop the response to the impact of climate change. Although the effect of human activities on climate will continue to be felt well beyond the life of the CRMP, it is important that mechanisms are put in place to adapt the services.

The new strategy was developed with Mortice Consulting, a firm that specialise in providing specialist sustainable solutions for cultural, heritage and public sector organisations.

Working with Mortice, the Strategy captured work that has already happened within the service, using these milestones to shape tangible and measurable targets for the future.

“The strategy reflects a thoughtful approach to integrating sustainability across the service, while building on the progress RBFRS has already made in enhancing its environmental and social responsibility.”
Ben Melham, Director at Mortice Consulting.

The new Strategy is mapped against the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs and aligned with the service’s commitments. As a partner and signatory of the Net Zeo Government Initiative, the United Kingdom has pledged to bring their government emissions, including fire and rescue activities, to net zero by 2050.

The SDGs will help guide the service, alongside other government institutions, in meeting this ambitious goal. As a public service, RBFRS aims to add sustainability into the conversation through its work, with a view to positively impacting both its staff and the communities that it serves.

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