Local leadership crucial in climate change challenge

The Local Government Association has stressed that councils have a significant role to play to support and advance on the UK’s net zero ambitions in partnership with government, industry and communities.

Following the G7 summit in Cornwall, the LGA is highlighting some of the innovative and proactive work councils are doing across the country to tackle climate change. The position of councils as place-shapers, convenors of communities and businesses, asset-owners, problem solvers and with significant purchasing and market shaping powers, puts them at the forefront of delivering real, tangible changes in the transition to net zero.

The LGA says that 90 per cent of councils have declared a climate emergency and many have been devising and implementing new ways of reducing their carbon footprint, from protecting the environment, increasing biodiversity, and transforming local infrastructure.

David Renard, Environment spokesperson for the LGA, said: “Councils understand the urgent need to tackle climate change and have been making active changes in their communities to benefit the environment. Councils are intrinsic to transitioning our places and empowering our communities and businesses to a net zero future. They are well-placed to translate national climate ambitions into transformative action on the ground. By working in partnership with government, councils can continue to shape their local areas to help achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.”

The LGA highlights several examples of work being done:

• City of York Council have secured planning permission for the first phase of one of the UK’s largest net zero carbon housing developments.
• Surrey County Council has launched a Solar Together Surrey initiative aimed at helping residents to make the switch to solar energy in their homes.
• Oxford City Council and its wholly owned company, ODS, introduced the first purpose built, fully integrated electric refuse collection vehicle this year, providing emission free waste collection services.
• Leicester City Council’s Santander Cycles Leicester is a public e-bike share system for the city, owned by Leicester City Council, delivered by Ride On and supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) and Santander UK.