climate emergency
We must rise to this moment
Writing ahead of her LGA conference plenary, shadow secretary of state Lisa Nandy says it’s time for a different sort of leadership – one that partners with the community and puts people in the driving seat.
Tapping into the cities opportunity
Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees talks to Heather Jameson about his new role as chair of Core Cities, and his vision of cities that connect to people locally, to each other and look out at the global stage.
A battle cry for strong councils
Communities suffer when Government is centralised, says leader of the Lib Dems Sir Ed Davey – and he believes local government is vital to fixing many of the issues that plague society.
Harnessing the full benefits of home upgrades
Support for home upgrades will lower emissions and protect communities from the energy crisis, and trailblazing councils are already showing the way, say Cara Jenkinson and Fiona Duggan.
Call for national 'civic service'
London Councils’ chair has called for the introduction of a national ‘civic service’ so everyone in communities can play a part in their transformation.
Beyond Net Zero
As we all bid to achieve net zero targets over the coming months and years, Andrew Spencer of EQUANS discusses how linking environmental and social approaches will provide unique opportunities to succeed.
Leveraging climate investment into our cities
Chair of Core Cities Marvin Rees says the UK Cities Climate Investment Commission has identified £200bn of investable projects in cities across the country to create new jobs and decarbonise our economies.
Authorities mark a net zero milestone
The UK100 network of climate-ambitious councils has just unveiled its first co-presidents and is looking forward to its flagship local net zero summit next month, explains Polly Billington.
Councils dive in to ocean recovery
Eight councils from around the UK have already started to take action to recover the health of our oceans and the communities that depend on them – but it will take all councils to turn the tide, says Emily Cunningham.
Social value can unlock billions to help communities flourish
A new report from Social Enterprise UK has highlighted a huge opportunity to realise £56bn a year through better public sector procurement, says Chris White.
Green jobs are the route to shared prosperity
Groundwork’s Growing Green Careers report sets out a number of principles designed to address both worklessness and environmental injustice, writes Graham Duxbury.
Is wind power the next step in delivering net zero?
Martin Barnes discusses the intensifying pressures being placed on local authorities to reach ambitious net zero targets, and how these can be achieved through the use of small wind.
Thurrock branded 'irresponsible' over protest publicity
A council has been accused of being ‘irresponsible and unjust’ after it published the full names and addresses of environmental protesters.
Zero progress on climate but devo can keep things on track
The Levelling Up White Paper’s relative silence on net zero represents a huge missed opportunity – unless the devolution genie is quickly let out of the bottle, writes Grace Newcombe.
UK's energy security strategy is missed opportunity
Local government is a vital piece of the UK’s energy security puzzle, but it has been virtually ignored in the new strategy, says Polly Billington.
Reform would help more councils achieve their ambitious targets and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels
The 2021 revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework missed the opportunity to remove existing barriers to onshore wind generation, says Kathy O'Leary.
Think big, act local, start now
Communities will look to their local authority for further support with the cost of living crisis, says Paul O'Brien. Councils will also need to provide leadership in decarbonisation, he adds.
Future Forum North: local government still lacks a plan for delivering sustainability
Local government still lacks both a plan for delivering sustainability and a way of measuring the impact of investment, says a Northern council director.
Southern comfort
Localis chief executive Jonathan Werran outlines a new report setting a possible future course for local government across South East England in adapting to challenges as diverse as Brexit, climate change, COVID and the Levelling Up White Paper.
Estate retrofit is not too big a challenge for the public sector
Daniel Easthope looks at how the public sector can best retrofit its estates to minimise emissions and maximise potential cost savings.