Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) has been ranked as one of the most climate-friendly councils across England and Wales.

The new research, which was released by the international charity Friends of the Earth on October 3, focused on a number of different criteria.

The majority of data used came from official government sources and looked at elements such as recycling rates, commuter journeys, and tree cover.

All councils across the country were given a score based on how well they compared to similar authorities, and that score was then converted by Friends of the Earth into a percentage.

HDC scored near the top, with 76 per cent, whilst Wiltshire topped the table as the most climate-friendly council with 92 per cent, and Pendle, Ribble Valley and Spelthorne all came last with 40 per cent.

The research showed that 56 per cent of household waste in Huntingdonshire was reused, recycled or composted.

The report also showed that 20 per cent of commuter journeys were made by public transport, cycling and walking.

Friends of the Earth said that Huntingdonshire should aim for 40 per cent of commuter journeys to be made by these methods by 2030.

On the 'tree cover' criteria, HDC scored just four per cent, with the highest proportion in similar areas being 26 per cent tree cover according to the research.

Leader of the council, Councillor Graham Bull said: "It is wonderful to be recognised for the work that we are doing to be a climate-friendly organisation, however we are under no illusions that our job is done.

"We must continue our momentum from the good work we have done in the past year and the projects that we have rolled out, including the extensive community engagement to reduce energy wastes in the home, maintaining our high recycling rates, working with our partners to encourage sustainable transport, managing air quality and safeguarding our trees and open spaces."

Craig Bennett, Friends of the Earth chief executive, said: "We know we are facing a climate and ecological emergency that threatens our existence and the natural world. If we want to change things for the better, let's start at home."