Glasgow leaders join forces to tackle climate change

Leaders from the public and private sectors in Glasgow have made a joint call to lead Glasgow's race to carbon net zero by 2030.

Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, launched the Sustainable Glasgow partnership, alongside city chiefs from academia and civil society, to tackle the city's fight against climate change. With Glasgow declaring a climate emergency in May 2019, it is intended that Sustainable Glasgow will provide a focal point for achieving the city's ambitious target for carbon reduction.

At the launch event at the Scottish Event Campus, key speeches were given by Aitken, George Gillespie, the executive director for the council's Neighbourhood and Sustainability department and Michelle McGinty, who is leading Glasgow City Council's team preparing the city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, in November.

Aitken said: "I am delighted there has been such an overwhelming, positive response to the launch of Sustainable Glasgow. Cities must lead the way to a sustainable future for our planet and Glasgow can become the city of our times, on the issue of our times. Cities are where the carbon is emitted, through our homes, our industries, our transportation, and this is where the change need to take place to achieve carbon neutrality. The launch of Sustainable Glasgow can be a landmark in our race to Net Zero, the start of a collaboration that delivers a sustainable future for our city and citizens.

"Glasgow can match ambition with achievement, combining a green and inclusive urban environment with a green and inclusive economy. But Government, neither local nor national, can do this alone. As our nation's largest city, Glasgow is renowned as a centre for innovation and for the new green economy. We have plenty to build upon with genuine partnership working between the local authority, business, industry and our academic sectors already one of our international selling points. As hosts of COP26, Glasgow has an opportunity of global significance to promote and accelerate our efforts to secure a just transition to carbon neutrality. Economic growth, improving the quality of life of all of our citizens and carbon neutrality are entirely compatible, but we all must begin planning for it now."