Over 300 local authorities have now declared climate emergencies. But what role do they have in helping the UK achieve its net zero target? Our latest report sets this out. Climate change is a global issue, which will mainly be led by national governments. Because of this, much action to meet net-zero (such as changes in electricity generation) will happen to cities rather than being driven by them. But there are two areas where place does matter – transport and domestic emissions. Despite the large strides the UK has made in cutting carbon emissions in recent years (mainly through switching away from coal and carbon-intensive industry) emissions from these two areas have remained stubbornly high. On these two counts, cities and large towns are likely to play a key, disproportionate role in helping the UK hit its net-zero target. This is because their higher densities are better able to support public transport networks and lower carbon homes. Read the full article here
