Reform leader denies climate change is man-made as council launches new environmental strategy
The leader of Derbyshire County Council, controlled by Reform UK, has disputed the scientific consensus linking climate change to human activity, aligning with the authority's removal of all references to climate change, net zero, and fossil fuels from its new environmental strategy. Alan Graves justified the shift by arguing the UK represents less than one per cent of global environmental problems and is already making substantial progress on environmental concerns, following the council's decision to dismantle its dedicated climate change committee the previous year.
Despite abandoning climate-focused terminology, the council remains statutorily obliged to develop an environmental strategy addressing its legal duties, including flood management responsibilities. The updated framework retains eight environmental themes encompassing landscape protection, energy efficiency, clean energy advancement, and resilience against severe weather, alongside continued participation in regional initiatives for locally-owned renewable energy. These developments occur as the United Kingdom has endured consecutive record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires, and intensified winter flooding patterns throughout 2026.
- Reform-led Derbyshire Council removed climate change language from its environmental strategy; leader denies climate change is man-made, argues UK is less than 1% responsible for global emissions
- Council abolished its climate committee but remains legally required to pursue environmental work, including clean energy collaboration with regional initiatives
- Decision follows 2026's record heatwaves, wildfires, and flooding across the UK