Local government stands ready to work with government to achieve net zero faster and more efficiently, in a way that delivers the greatest benefit to our communities.
Claire Coutinho MP
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Department of Energy, Security and Net Zero
1 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0ET
19 October 2023
Dear Secretary of State,
Join us to back Local Climate Action
Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our communities and ranks high in peoples’ priorities. Eight in ten are concerned by it, three quarters want to deliver net zero by 2050, and half want to bring that target forward. Councils recognise the urgency and scale of this challenge, with over 300 declaring climate emergencies.
Councils have some impact on over 80 per cent of an areas’ emissions, and direct impact over a third of emissions given their central role in housing, transport and energy. While national action is essential in setting the framework and taking the big decisions, the complexity of transition in our 51 cities, 935 towns and 6,000 villages cannot be managed from a Whitehall desk.
The impact of local climate action can be enormous. The Government’s own research found that local climate action would achieve net zero by 2050 for half the cost of a national approach and deliver three times the financial returns and wider benefits.
Local government is united in our call for devolved approaches to realise this potential. Unfortunately, it is still unclear how councils fit into the national plan for net zero and climate adaptation. Councils receive no core funding for climate action and are forced to compete for short-term pots of funding that come and go over time, taking up resources and creating uncertainty.
We are therefore writing to you as a coalition of leading organisations representing local government in England to call on you to back local climate action, by:
- Putting in place a national climate action framework with policy, regulatory, and investment certainty up to 2050, with set milestones and a clear role for councils leading local climate action.
- Providing all councils with adequate and stable core funding to take forward climate action across their own services; multi-year place-based funding allocations to lead decarbonisation across their areas and support to secure greater private investment into local climate action.
- Introducing a local climate action test ensuring all government policy and funding decisions – from housing to skills - contribute to local climate action.
On 24 October, 2.15 – 4pm, we are holding a drop-in event in Room S of Portcullis House to showcase some of the transformative local climate action projects councils are leading. We would be delighted if you could join us.
Local government stands ready to work with you to achieve net zero faster and more efficiently, in a way that delivers the greatest benefit to our communities. We are calling on you to back local climate action. We would welcome a meeting with you to discuss how we can work together to turn mission to reality.
Yours sincerely,
Cllr Darren Rodwell,
Chair of the Local Government Association’s Local Infrastructure Board and Net Zero Board
Cllr Kieron Williams
Chair of London Councils Transport and Environment Committee
Cllr Sam Corcoran
Spokesperson for Climate Change, County Councils Network
Cllr Sarah Nelmes
Environment spokesperson, District Councils’ Networks