The LGA is consulting on a new duty for councils
Tackling climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our communities and ranks high in people’s priorities.
In 2022, public opinion specialist Ipsos found that eight in 10 people are concerned by it, three-quarters want to deliver net zero by 2050, and half want to bring that target forward.
Councils in England and Wales recognise the urgency and scale of this challenge, with more than 300 declaring climate emergencies.
Local government has some impact over 80 per cent of local emissions and direct impact over a third, given its central role in housing, transport and energy. While national action is essential in setting the framework and taking the big decisions, the complexity of transition in our many cities, towns and villages cannot be managed from a desk in Whitehall.
The LGA set out its vision for supporting government to achieve net zero in our Local Government White Paper.
Since its publication, we have been working with government on its green energy mission, to ensure local government is equipped to play its full role in accelerating to net zero, tackling the ecological crisis and taking action on adaptation.
Any coherent and deliverable plan to act on climate change relies on local delivery. This means sharing responsibility and empowering place-based leadership.
Councils can target and join up delivery to ensure it is efficient and effective in key sectors, including housing, retrofit, energy systems, transport, nature, waste, and more. However, local government action is often hampered by a lack of clarity, certainty, resources, powers and responsibilities.
Councils in England receive no core funding for climate and nature action, and are instead forced to compete for short-term pots of funding, consuming resources and creating uncertainty. Set against the backdrop of wider local government service and finance pressures, leadership on climate action is squeezed out.
With the range of reforms under way across the green energy mission, devolution and local government reorganisation, there is an opportunity to rewire the relationship, and put in place a statutory framework to give all local authorities the certainty, clarity, flexibility, powers, resources, technical support, and shared endeavour to accelerate towards net zero.
A wide range of expert interventions have drawn a similar conclusion, including from the National Audit Office, the Climate Change Committee, and the Skidmore Review, as well as from across local government.
A rewired relationship requires rewired accountability, and there is space now for a fuller discussion on the options, opportunities and barriers, what new legal requirements could look like, and what is needed for them to make the difference. Consequently, the LGA has opened a consultation on whether councils in England should advocate for a statutory duty around climate change: their Welsh counterparts already have a legal duty to act on climate change and biodiversity.
The consultation’s questions cover the policy, funding and delivery landscape, including the advantages and risks of a duty, as well as accountability mechanisms and local partnerships.
We want to hear from councils, local government representative networks, our public service partners, businesses, civil society, non-governmental organisations, parliamentarians, and other networks – so please, make your voice heard.
- The LGA’s consultation on a new statutory duty for councils on climate change closes on 30 May. See the LGA website for information about forthcoming engagement events, or email [email protected]