Climate change
We need to be ready to cope with the next shock
When the opportunity to reflect comes, Ian Miller feels the conclusion may be reached that the UK was not well prepared for COVID-19.
The troubled world of off-setting and sequestration
Jo Wall says Local Partnerships' work on carbon sequestration, place-making and carbon accounting 'mean we have the skills to help assess the best options to adopt in order to select robust, practical and defensible plans for carbon off-setting'.
Climate emergency: adaptation
Councils must lead the development of localised climate change adaption and resilience, through both action and policy, says Jo Wall of Local Partnerships.
Budget should prioritise local resilience to climate change
The first Budget of a new Parliament provides an excellent opportunity to prioritise the mitigation of the impact extreme weather events have on our people and our places, says Sharon Kemp.
Expanding the approach to public engagement
There are many ways to make it easier to forge public consensus on the difficult decisions needed for the long-term, says Laurie Smith. Here, he outlines three ‘participatory futures’ case studies from across the globe.
Getting to Zero
Programme director for Local Partnerships Rachel Toresen-Owuor says strong leadership is essential if a new climate-conscious focus for developing projects is going to permeate to the core of the local authority.
Some local lessons from the Far East
Heather Jameson finds that while local government officers in Japan are grappling with similar challenges to those in the UK, there is one stark difference – Japanese authorities have the power to make their own laws and raise their own taxes.
Engie to lead zero-carbon pilot in Staffordshire
A consortium is to test a system for lowering energy usage and carbon emissions on a town-wide scale in Rugeley.
Climate emergency: know where you are
The UN Climate Change Conference – COP26 – will take place in Glasgow in November, where more than 200 world leaders are expected to meet to agree a new, long-term deal on rising temperatures. According to organisers of COP26, the UK has ‘one shot’ at making it a global success.
Accelerating growth, ambition and opportunity at Glasgow City Region
Glasgow City Region is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK. Kevin Rush outlines progress being made by the partnership of eight councils and plans to accelerate growth and investment.
There’s no quick fix to tackling climate change
If local councils are to capitalise on the zeitgeist of the climate emergency then they need some serious money and new powers – and time is of the essence, argues Paul O’Brien.
Local government is a powerful force for change
Last year, people across the UK called on the Government to take environmental action seriously. We witnessed a noticeable shift as local government responded – people and councils, coming together with a shared voice for change.
Doing politics differently post-Brexit
Adults do not want to be treated like children to be nannied by the state, says Claire Fox – but she is not convinced that Citizens’ Assemblies are the right way forward.
The pressure is building to talk less about climate change and do more
The incentives to act on tackling climate change are clear and present, but none of us has all the answers, says Anthony May. Learning together as a community of local authorities will enable better, more consistent and coherent plans, he adds.
‘Local works best’
The fact that devolution hasn’t happened yet across Yorkshire ‘isn’t for the want of trying’, says Tom Riordan. But he adds that a solution may finally be close, and it’s vital that all parts of the region benefit.
Council owned properties must be part of the climate emergency response
Current energy efficiency delivery ‘at least for domestic properties, is at an all-time low’ says chief executive of Community Energy England Emma Bridge.
Pension partnership in asset manager threat
The £30bn Brunel Pension Partnership has launched a combative new climate policy that threatens to exclude asset managers if they fail to raise their game.
4 wheel drive woman on... climate change
Gosh Tarquin, it seems such a long time since we came back from the Christmas holidays…I’m frazzled already. I don’t think I can hold out until our half-term ski break.
Why every local council should commit to a Green New Deal
There has never been a greater need to decarbonise, argues Cllr Elaine Hills. She says wise investments by councils can drive economic and societal change, and the Green New Deal proposal for Brighton & Hove City Council 'aims to do just that'.
Pension funds pile pressure on Barclays over fossil fuel financing
Four pension funds will pile pressure on Barclays to phase out its financing of fossil fuel companies.