Published: 03 November 2025

From: Environment

Crawley Borough Council welcomed the Chief Executive of UK100, Christopher Hammond, earlier this week for a day of discussions and site visits focused on accelerating local climate action and decarbonisation.

UK100 is the only network of councils led by all political parties working together to tackle climate change.

The visit began at Crawley Station, where the UK100 team joined Leader of the Council, Councillor Michael Jones, and Cabinet member for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change, Councillor Nick Hilton, aboard a demonstrator hydrogen bus provided by Metrobus. The visit showcased Crawley’s ambitions and challenges in delivering a low-carbon future.

Some of the key highlights of the day included:

  • discussions with the Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID) Chief Executive, Steve Sawyer, at Crawley Innovation Centre
  • a tour through Bewbush and Broadfield to learn more about housing and leisure decarbonisation, followed by K2 Crawley Leisure Centre, where recent solar carport installations were showcased as part of ongoing efforts to reduce emissions
  • the day concluded with a tour of Crawley College’s Green Village, a hub for STEM and green technology skills development

We are determined to make Crawley a leader in protecting our green spaces, making air cleaner for our children to breathe and guarding our wildlife, but funding and capacity remain significant challenges. Today’s visit was an invaluable opportunity to explore solutions and strengthen partnerships.

Councillor Michael Jones

Leader of the council

Crawley is showing what's possible when councils, businesses and education providers work together to deliver climate action that's truly rooted in place. From housing retrofit to green skills development, they're not just planning for a low-carbon future - they're building it for their residents right now. It's exactly this kind of practical, ambitious delivery that shows why local leaders need the powers and funding to match their determination.

Christopher Hammond

Chief Executive

UK100

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