Regional leaders commit to reaching Net Zero at least five years earlier than central government

A coalition of 41 cross party local leaders have committed to cut their own emissions to Net Zero by 2030, and their community emissions by 2045, five years earlier than central government.

Regional leaders from Edinburgh to Cornwall have pledged to eliminate emissions in their communities at least five years earlier than Whitehall.

Co-ordinated by the UK100 NGO, the group of city mayors and council leaders will sign the ‘UK100 Net Zero pledge’ which explicitly commits them to neutralising their emissions by 2030 and those of their residents and businesses by 2045: “We will do everything within our power and influence to rapidly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We will bring our council emissions to Net Zero by 2030 and we will work with our residents and businesses to bring our wider communities’ emissions in line with Net Zero as soon as possible (and by 2045 at the latest). We will continue to lead the UK’s response to Net Zero, going ahead of the government goal and taking the first steps with urgency. We will make substantial progress within the next decade to deliver Net Zero. With greater powers, we would go further, faster.”

The group of cross-party leaders will work together over the coming year to push for more funding and powers from central Government which will enable them to go even “further and faster” in the journey to Net Zero. Polly Billington, Director of UK100, said: “These ambitious local leaders have pledged to do everything within their power to reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible in a way that benefits their communities with new jobs and skills. From Edinburgh to Cornwall, local leadership, alongside funding and powers is key to winning the Race to Net Zero.”

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol City Council, (Labour) said: “The UK100 Net Zero pledge helps cities to share learning rapidly with other local authorities and work with national government on effective solutions to contribute to the UK’s Net Zero Target. We will only succeed working together with our citizens, businesses and other institutions and collaboration is essential for that success.”

Full List of signatories

1. Bath and North East Somerset Council, Cllr Dine Romero

2. Birmingham City Council, Cllr Ian Ward

3. Bristol City Council, Mayor Marvin Rees

4. Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien

5. Cambridgeshire County Council, Cllr Steve Count

6. London Borough of Camden, Cllr Georgia Gould

7. Cornwall Council, Cllr Julian German

8. Cotswold District Council, Cllr Joe Harris

9. City of Edinburgh Council, Cllr Adam McVey

10.London Borough of Enfield, Cllr Nesil Caliskan

11.Glasgow City Council, Cllr Susan Aitken

12.Gloucestershire County Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne

13.Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Mayor Andy Burnham

14.Royal Borough of Greenwich, Cllr Danny Thorpe

15.London Borough of Islington, Cllr Richard Watts

16.Leeds City Council, Cllr Judith Blake

17.Leicester City Council, Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby

18.Leicestershire County Council, Cllr Nicholas Rushton

19.London Borough of Lewisham, Mayor Damien Egan

20.Liverpool City Council, Mayor Joe Anderson

21.Liverpool City Region, Mayor Steve Rotheram

22.Milton Keynes Council, Cllr Peter Marland

23.Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes

24.Nottingham City Council, Cllr David Mellen

25.Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Cllr Sean Fielding

26.Oxford City Council, Cllr Susan Brown

27.Plymouth City Council, Cllr Tudor Evans

28.Reading Borough Council, Cllr Jason Brock

29.Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Cllr Maria Crompton

30.Sheffield City Region, Mayor Dan Jarvis

31.Solihull Council, Cllr Ian Courts

32.Somerset County Council, Cllr David Fothergill

33.South Gloucestershire Council, Cllr Toby Savage

34.London Borough of Southwark, Cllr Kieron Williams

35.Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, Cllr Sybil Ralphs

36.Stevenage Borough Council, Cllr Sharon Taylor

37.Stroud District Council, Cllr Doina Cornell

38.West Midlands Combined Authority, Mayor Andy Street

39.West of England Combined Authority, Cllr Tim Bowles

40.Westminster City Council, Cllr Rachael Robathan

41.Wiltshire Council, Cllr Philip Whitehead