The climate emergency declaration
We are proud to be taking a leading role working with individuals, communities, businesses, and partners across the city to act on the causes and impacts of climate change.
On 11 June 2019, we declared a climate emergency to:
- recognise that climate change is an existential threat to our current way of life
- make a commitment to act against it
We set an ambitious target for the council and city to become net zero carbon by 2030, or as soon as possible thereafter as a just transition allows. This goes beyond the government's 2050 net zero target for the whole of the UK.
Net zero means reducing our emissions and the total amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
In 2024, we formally pledged our support for the Climate and Ecology Bill. This is a plan for a new UK law that addresses the full climate and nature crisis in line with the most up-to-date science. This proposed law would bring the UK’s emissions targets in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and commit the UK to reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
Further information about council and city emissions are available in our Route to Net Zero Annual Report and Climate Change Briefing Book on the City Observatory website.
Page last updated: 5 November 2024
