Progress needs to be accelerated in every local area if the UK's climate and nature targets are to be met, campaigners have said.

A new report from the charities Friends of the Earth and Ashden argued local authorities were ‘crucial' to helping the UK tackle the climate emergency.

Most councils have now declared a climate emergency and 85% have created climate action plans.

However, the study warned that the quality and scale of ambition still varied greatly across the country - in large part because of a lack of clarity from the Government about the role of councils in the journey to net zero.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Sandra Bell said: ‘Whether it's declaring a climate emergency or producing a plan to curb climate and nature breakdown, most local authorities have shown they want to do more to protect our planet.

'But, in spite of this, we're still not seeing local progress at the rate needed to halt the worst climate impacts.

‘For many councils it's a question of funding and powers - both of which are in short supply.'