It was great to be part of the Local Government Association’s cross-party COP26 delegation in Glasgow earlier this month, where we represented local government and made sure councils were at the centre of the discussions to tackle the climate emergency. As we headed into the final days of negotiations, we pushed hard for the essential role of local government around the world to be acknowledged in responding to climate change.

We were pleased the final text of the Glasgow Agreement recognised the urgent need for multi-level and co-operative action and the important role of local and regional governments. This was testament to the fantastic efforts of the LGA delegation, who worked tirelessly alongside our international partners to achieve what was one of our main objectives at COP26. In particular, I’d like to thank Cllr Pippa Heylings for her key role in influencing the negotiations.