Leeds Climate Commission to convene Resilient Sustainable City ambition

As part of the newly launched Leeds Ambitions, Leeds has set the standard to be the UK’s first net zero and nature positive city.

Leeds Climate Commission is proud to be the convening partner for this ambition. The Commission has supported the city on its climate journey since 2017, when it was established as a partnership between the University of Leeds, Leeds City Council and other representatives from the public, private and third sectors in Leeds.

The three goals underpinning the Resilient: Sustainable City ambition showcase the breadth of activity that will be needed to ensure we have a regenerative and thriving city in the future. The goals are:

– improving the resilience of our people, communities, businesses and services to the changing climate, restoring our connection with nature and creating quality green space where people can be active;

– rapidly reducing carbon emissions, creating warmer homes and lower energy bills which help people out of fuel poverty and support businesses to lower their costs;

– connecting the city by improving our transport system to be more sustainable, accessible, safe and affordable, providing people with good alternatives to car use.

Rosa Foster, Director, Leeds Climate Commission said:

“We want Leeds to continue to grow, and to be an amazing place to grow up, to study, to work and to have fun. I am delighted that the Leeds Climate Commission will be a key part of helping make our city to be the first net zero, resilient and nature positive city.

“As these two examples show, we can work together to reduce emissions and bills, and prepare for future extreme weather events. The investments not only make sense economically, they also improve people’s quality of life by reducing worry and stress.

“It takes a lot of work and commitment across a wide range of partners to bring these complex and cutting-edge schemes into being – and Leeds does it brilliantly.

“Leeds City Council has recently secured funding for a major new network in South Bank, which is expected to add a further 28 buildings to the district heating network through its first phase. And, the natural flood management work on land far upstream of Leeds is now being managed through the Aire Resilience Company.

“This is an innovative approach that helps city & rural businesses work together to common good, ensuring the resilience of the city whilst improving outcomes for farmers upstream.

“There is a swathe of great work going on across the city from all of Team Leeds, with the shared goal of increasing resilience.

“This work includes the University of Leeds committing £174million to realise its ambitions in its climate plan, making our homes ready for the future whilst reducing bills, reducing the energy costs of historic buildings by reducing their emissions, using biodiversity credits to create new greenspaces and habitat for wildlife, expanding and improving our transport networks through mass transit, cycle provision and safer walking routes, and many more besides.

“As Team Leeds we can ensure that we are resilient and well prepared for the impacts of more extreme weather both here and overseas. And we can do our bit to show how these actions help us in everyday life, as well as knowing that because of the bold actions we are taking now, our city will be a thriving and vibrant place in the decades to come.”

Two examples of successful partnerships across private and public sectors that have produced stand out projects in Leeds are the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) – pictured above – and district heating system Leeds PIPES, both instrumental in providing resilience for the people of Leeds into the future.

Read more about Leeds FAS and Leeds PIPES projects, and find out more about the Resilient: Sustainable City ambition.