Making good decisions easier

Press national government to set clear, mission-driven policies that integrate climate action, nature’s recovery and economic development, and to devolve powers to enable local and regional-scale policy innovation.

Adopt an agreed and integrated way to measure the social, economic and environmental progress in the region, to better inform policy and decision-making across sectors, linking to the outcomes in this plan and building on the Yorkshire Vitality Index proposed by Yorkshire & Humber Councils and Yorkshire Universities.

Ensure local economic strategies are fully integrated with climate strategies, so that economic development helps address rather than exacerbate the climate crisis, and doesn’t hamper adaptation or nature’s recovery.

Case study: Embedding climate action in a local authority

Develop methodologies for including aviation and shipping emissions within modelling for carbon reduction pathways, to inform decisions on economic strategies and supply chains.

Create research initiatives (including research engagement) that enable greater access to high quality data and evidence on climate and nature within the region to enable informed policy decision-making and evaluation.

Develop accessible spatial tools that enable the user to visualise and overlay different datasets, such as demographic change, vulnerability to climate impacts, carbon storage and the health of soils, to identify opportunities and priorities for investment.

Show workable solutions of what can be achieved for our region and its citizens when suitable finance is available, highlighting investment‑ready proposals and connecting investors with environmentally and socially positive projects and portfolios.

Develop climate and nature financing, blending public and private investment, that accelerates projects delivering climate-ready, nature-positive, equitable and low-carbon products and services.

Case study: Enabling investment in natural capital

Promote policies and projects that enable people to make good decisions easier in their everyday lives, reducing unsustainable consumption of goods, services and resources while providing a good standard of living; for example, helping people to make more positive purchasing choices by improving transparency of supply chains or providing easy-to-understand insight into environmental impacts of goods and services.