Newcastle named global 'climate leader'

Newcastle has been named one of the world’s ‘climate leaders’ by climate research provider CDP for its efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The city is one of only four places in the UK to receive the top A grade from CDP and one of only 88 globally. Over 830 cities disclosed their climate data through CDP in 2020 and in order to score an A rating a city must have a city-wide emissions inventory, have set an emissions reduction target, published a climate action plan and have completed a climate adaptation plan to demonstrate how it will tackle climate hazards now and in the future.

Newcastle City Council’s recently published Net Zero Newcastle: 2030 Action Plan sets out the challenge facing the city, and more than 150 measures that can be taken to cut emissions over the next 10 years.

Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic is clearly foremost in everyone’s minds but the Climate Emergency has not gone away. Tackling this environmental crisis remains the great challenge of our age and as a city we want to ensure that we are at the forefront of efforts to rapidly reduce emissions, to safeguard not only the planet, but our residents and economy.

“As we continue to ramp up both our ambition and actions to be carbon neutral by 2030 it is incredibly reassuring to be recognised for our efforts by an organisation which is the global gold standard for environmental reporting, as it shows we are very much on the right track. We must now, as a city, continue the vast amount of good work that is already underway, and take the further steps necessary, to effect the lasting changes that we know will be of benefit to everyone.”