Leeds groups win 2.5m for climate emergency action

18th August, 2020 - 17:01

A partnership of local organisations in Leeds has been successful in a £2.5m award from The National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund. The partnership includes Our Future Leeds, Voluntary Action LeedsTogether for Peace and Leeds Tidal, and is supported by a host of other Leeds community organisations. It has a goal of creating a ‘zero carbon, socially-just and liveable city by 2030’, and the funding will go towards supercharging climate and social justice action across the city.

Leeds team pioneers readiness assessment for local climate action

30th July, 2020 - 19:18

So your area has declared a climate emergency – what next? Broad declarations should become specific targets that need to be supported by action plans, but the readiness of places to deliver them is rarely clear-cut.

This has been the challenge faced by Leeds Climate Commission, which has pioneered a methodology to address levels of readiness across sectors.

COP26 Fellowship for Leeds researcher

29th July, 2020 - 17:23

A researcher from the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds has been awarded a Fellowship to engage with the international climate negotiations in the run up to the 26th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).

Harriet Thew, a postgraduate researcher and graduate teaching associate in the School of Earth and Environment at Leeds, is one of four UK researchers to receive the Fellowship.

25-year green initiative to create woodlands across Leeds launched

3rd July, 2020 - 17:26

A large-scale new tree planting initiative, which forms part of Leeds’ ambitious programme to make the city carbon neutral by 2030, has been launched today with the first potential sites identified. The first saplings will be planted this winter, with the woodland creation programme set to see 5.8 million trees planted across the city in the next 25 years. To demonstrate the type of woodlands that will be planted in the future, one planted two years ago on King Alfred’s Field was visited earlier today by Councillor Lisa Mulherin and Councillor Mohammed Rafique.

Youth Climate Leadership Programme announced

3rd July, 2020 - 16:47

Open Source Arts  with support from  SAIL are delivering a pioneering leadership training for young adults aged 16-18  who wish to grow their capacity to become inspiring leaders in climate action. 

The programme will teach skills in leadership through emergence, relationship building, conversation practice, facilitation, deep listening and emotional empathy across difference. 

Residents want local authorities to act on climate change and to be part of the solution, new research shows

23rd June, 2020 - 17:23

 

Research released today funded by PCAN (the Place-Based Climate Action Network) and carried out in partnership with Abundance Investment finds that residents want local authorities to act on climate change and are attracted by the prospect of being part of a collective solution.

Majority of Leeds residents prioritise clean air by tackling emissions from cars

11th June, 2020 - 17:45

A YouGov poll of residents in Leeds reveals overwhelming support for measures to protect health by tackling air pollution emissions from cars. Nearly four in five (79%) are in favour of measures to reduce car emissions and use with just 11% rejecting action. A similarly high level of support is observed between men and women, and among different age and income groups. The survey, with supporting analysis by transport think-tank Transport & Environment, finds that reallocating road space (as one of the measure to control air pollution) to create more room for pedestrians is supported by 73% of respondents (just 10% opposed).

PCAN Fund reopens for place-based climate action projects and new Fellowships

12th May, 2020 - 19:11

Round 2 of the popular PCAN Fund is now open for place-based propject proposals that develop ideas and approaches with wider relevance to the delivery of local climate action plans. The Fund is designed to support projects that promote and increase understanding of place-based climate action in the UK. It takes the form of small grants worth £5,000 – £35,000 each, from a total funding pot of  £125,000 (for this round). Four to six awards are likely to be made.

Leeds City Council plans to more than halve carbon emissions by 2025

13th January, 2020 - 10:47

Senior councillors have approved plans to cut the council’s carbon footprint by more than half following the local authority’s climate emergency declaration in March. 

The new proposals mean that Leeds City Council will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from 70,000 to 31,000 tonnes by 2025, in line with science-based carbon reduction targets.