Cities welcome UK Government's revised carbon emissions targets

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol and Core Cities UK Net Zero Spokesperson, said:

The Government's new climate change commitments to reduce carbon emissions by 78% by 2035 are welcome, but delivery of this target relies in large part on local action, particularly within our biggest urban areas where most emissions occur.

Across the Core Cities there are projects in an advanced stage of planning that can deliver a significant part of this target and that we should be investing in now. This includes mass rapid transport systems, hydrogen and electric vehicle technology and housing retrofit.

These projects will have other benefits. For example, up to 40% of carbon emissions in some cities are from housing, so retrofitting insulation and switching from gas boilers is vital to meeting climate targets. But retrofitting also creates jobs – more than new-build housing projects – and will inject much-needed skills into our labour market. It’s a win-win.

Working together, we can radically transform the way millions of citizens live, from driving cars to heating homes. Knowledgeable, agile and trusted local government is best placed to deliver these changes in cities, in partnership with national Government.

As COP26 in the great Core City of Glasgow draws closer, we will continue to work with Government to identify cutting edge businesses across our cities.  Manufacturing everything from battery technology to air source heat pumps, these businesses will help kickstart the green industrial revolution and provide a greener and more prosperous future for our cities and our country.