With more than 300 local councils having declared a climate emergency so far in the UK, it may be difficult to understand why progress on climate action at a local level still seems to be so slow in many cases.

Looking to a recent example in Cambridge where the city council has struggled to sustain support for a proposed sustainable travel zone, there appears to be a disconnect between public sentiment and political action. This threatens to derail local government climate initiatives at a time when they have never been more important.