A council has committed thousands of pounds to address the climate emergency.

Since declaring a climate emergency earlier this year, Three Rivers District Council has put £50,000 towards tackling the issue.

Councillor Sara Bedford, leader of the council, said the funding was just the “first step” in the council’s plan to tackle climate change.

Cllr Bedford said: “This will enable us to carry out research and look at quick wins for the council and community.

“By the end of this year we will be bringing forward further plans and costings to enable Three Rivers to become an even more sustainable council and to support and enable residents to build a more sustainable future.

“Three Rivers has a proud record of award-winning environmental projects and sustainable services.”

The figures come following an investigation by DeSmog UK, who asked 94 councils across the UK that have declared a climate emergency what action they have taken and if additional funding has been allocated for their proposals.

It found that so far in the UK more than £2 million has been committed by councils to tackle climate change.

DeSmog UK Editor Mat Hope said of the investigation: “We were initially sceptical of so many local councils declaring a climate emergency given their limited resources to put towards tackling the problem.

“But our analysis shows that many local politicians are doing what they can to back up their strong words with real action — with more commitments expected to come.”

“Climate change is an issue that affects everyone. If we are going to curb emissions and stop global warming, we need governments at every level to be taking urgent action. It is heartening to see some local authorities getting that message and committing their heavily constrained resources to the issue.

“But ultimately all authorities will need help from central government if the UK’s legally binding climate targets are going to be achieved.”