This event was held on Tuesday 3 December for officers working on sustainability, climate change, and environmental agendas.
While local authorities are making significant progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing biodiversity, they cannot achieve these goals alone. Communities are increasingly motivated to act sustainably, but various behavioural barriers, such as gaps in knowledge, limited opportunities, lack of motivation, or financial constraints, often hinder action.
Local authorities play a crucial role in addressing these barriers by applying behavioural insights and testing interventions to encourage sustainable behaviours among staff and residents. The roundtable explored how behavioural science techniques could drive positive change through net-zero initiatives. It featured presentations from councils sharing their experiences with behavioural science-based projects, followed by a discussion among local government officers. The event was delivered by the LGA in partnership with and funded by the Crown Commercial Service.
Stockport Council – Climate Action Now:
Nick Leslie, Head of Climate Action Now, Stockport Council
Liz Atherton, Climate Action Now Project Manager, Stockport Council
Stockport Council, within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and a population of around 300,000 residents, is situated in a borough marked by significant socio-economic disparity. The area includes some of the wealthiest and most deprived neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester. Stockport is undergoing substantial transformation, particularly in its town centre, headed by the Mayoral Development Corporation—a project involving approximately £1 billion of investment over the next decade, aimed at creating 4,000 new homes.
In 2019, all 10 GMCA authorities declared a climate emergency, committing to achieving carbon neutrality across the region by 2038. This strategy emphasises key emission sources, including renewable energy, building emissions, and transport. Central to this vision is the "Climate Friendly Borough" workstream, which focuses on community engagement within Stockport.
Additionally, Stockport Council has set an operational target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. The Council controls about 2% of borough-wide emissions through its operations and influences approximately one-third of overall emissions via policies and partnerships. Efforts include embedding climate targets within procurement processes and requiring supply chain partners to monitor emissions and implement carbon reduction plans aligned with national targets for 2030 and 2050.
The “Climate Friendly Borough” engagement programme is designed to foster internal and external behaviour change. Internally, carbon literacy training has been rolled out to staff and council members, particularly teams with significant climate impacts, such as estates, planning, highways, and transport. The training, developed and delivered by the Climate Action Now team, aims to embed sustainable practices into decision-making processes.
Externally, the Council has structured its engagement strategy into three focus areas: businesses, communities, and young people. A Climate Action Business Forum meets quarterly, providing a collaborative platform for companies committed to climate action. For communities, the Stockport Green Network offers an inclusive space for residents interested in climate and nature initiatives. The Council also hosts "Green Stock Together," an annual community event that attracts over 800 participants and supports collaborative climate action projects. Additionally, the Climate Action Now Community Fund provides financial support for local climate initiatives.
For young people, the Council runs a Schools and Youth Climate Assembly, where students develop and propose actionable climate solutions for both their schools and the Council. These ideas are debated and voted on annually in the Council chambers, with the Council committing to implementing the winning proposals. Previous initiatives have included eco-friendly period products, community gardening projects, and school swap shops. This programme not only addresses youth concerns but also ensures meaningful action on their contributions.
Stockport Council continues to reflect on its role in fostering climate action, recognising its unique position to convene diverse stakeholders. By creating opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning across businesses, communities, and young people, the Council aims to amplify climate action and drive the borough towards a sustainable future.
Bristol City Council – Behaviour Change and Communities
Mark Leach, Project Manager, Bristol City Council
Bristol City Council has focused on three key areas, starting with trusted messaging. The council’s earlier declarations and 2030 goals emphasise carbon neutrality, resilience, and nature as central to Bristol’s approach. By collaborating with anchor institutions, universities, hospitals, businesses, and community organisations, the council developed the One City Climate Strategy, followed by the One City Ecological Emergency Strategy. These strategies are now transitioning into actionable phases to secure funding.
In terms of communications and engagement, a coalition of 20 partners works to make environmental messaging more effective, inclusive, and far-reaching. Initiatives such as the Climate Hub website and citywide campaigns have been launched, along with support for community climate action across both demographic and geographical groups. Efforts include engaging representative groups to ensure trusted messages are delivered by appropriate voices to combat misinformation.
A key challenge for the council is its obligation to communicate with all residents, unlike other organisations that can target specific audiences. Through outreach, the council discovered a broad spectrum of "climate heroes". Metrics are being used to measure the impact of its messaging.
The cost-of-living crisis complicates discussions about climate change, as one-third of Bristol’s population is classified as deprived. Recognising that immediate concerns like heating and eating often overshadow climate issues, the council emphasises listening to people’s priorities and gradually building deeper conversations. Despite initial perceptions of climate change as a middle-class issue, communities do care.
Bristol now hosts England’s tallest onshore wind turbine, which is expected to pay for itself in a year or two, with future revenues benefiting the local community. This grassroots learning has informed a programme supported by the Big Lottery Community Fund, empowering 18 communities, primarily in deprived areas, to lead local climate initiatives. This co-benefits approach has been critical for gaining local buy-in and convincing decision-makers of its value.
The council's six work streams include a panel focused on just transitions, addressing environmental policies and measures. Projects include a circular economy scheme where restaurant waste is collected by bicycles, composted to grow food, and returned to restaurants. Other initiatives involve social housing projects that promote wildlife-friendly spaces, refugee training and employment programmes, and efforts to recognise underrepresented communities’ climate contributions.
Bristol’s recent Just Transition Declaration has further shaped its approach, providing 10 guiding principles to ensure sustainability and equity. These principles are being integrated into the council's operations and partnerships to secure lasting change.
Q&A
Q. How is Stockport securing the funding for these community grants, especially given the financial pressures currently facing the sector?
A. The funding comes from an internal scheme with relatively modest resources. However, efforts have been made to allocate money for this purpose. Before joining, councillors had designated £180,000 for a Community Climate Fund, to distribute it equally across wards. This ward-based allocation was implemented during the initial years, driven by strong support and prioritisation from councillors to sustain the fund.
Q. How do you link with your neighbourhood teams, social support, and ASB Community group development?
A. Community development has played a crucial role in much of the work in Bristol, operating on a neighbourhood-based model while ensuring citywide coverage. They were instrumental in identifying key individuals to drive initiatives. The contribution of community development workers was essential in this process.
Understanding which co-benefits matter most to the people being engaged is crucial. At Stockport Council, carbon literacy has helped integrate climate action into various roles, making it a recognised priority across departments. This ensures clear signposting for resources and support within the council. However, with initiatives like the R4C project, creating a trusted, community-led space—separate from the council—is vital. This approach fosters collaboration and delivers additional benefits beyond climate action, such as building community resilience.
Q. Are there any broader connections, given that you mentioned public health as an internal council function? Specifically, are you collaborating with health services, such as the NHS? This ties back to the co-benefits mentioned earlier, are there any initiatives or partnerships in that area?
A. Over the past year, the Eco 4 scheme has proven highly beneficial across Greater Manchester, delivered through a collaborative partnership. One key advantage has been linking the scheme with the cost-of-living support line. This connection ensures support staff are well-informed about available grants for home retrofitting. As a result, they can effectively guide individuals in crisis toward accessing the support they need.
Q. How do you make sure the climate business and community networks are positive spaces and action & peer-led?
In Stockport, the business forum is less peer-led as it is chaired and co-organised by a representative from the local Chamber of Commerce. Businesses contribute to the forum, and as the network has developed, there has been an increasing focus on topics businesses want to address. The forum's format emphasises both sharing expertise through speakers and prioritising networking opportunities, which businesses value highly.
In contrast, the green network is more peer-led, albeit in a dynamic and evolving way. The network is currently navigating its structure, with members determining their level of connection to the council. This may result in a twofold structure: one segment focused on strong, peer-led campaigning, and another collaborating with the council on awareness-raising and community engagement events.
For the Green Stock initiative, the approach aligns with meeting people where they are. Events are held in parks to attract diverse audiences, including those not actively thinking about climate issues. Activities are interactive, requiring participants to engage rather than simply collecting leaflets.