Blueprint Coalition: Burnham, rewiring the state and local climate action – what next for councils?

After a summer of unprecedented heat, action by local authorities to mitigate and adapt to climate change has never been more urgent.

A report recently published by CAG Consultants for the Climate Change Committee has emphasised the importance of local action to reach the Seventh Carbon Budget. But councils face a new operating environment.

The Burnham government is prioritising devolution, with plans for strategic authorities across England by 2028 with promises of new powers and funding for some regional mayors. At the same time, there is confusion over the future of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) following the ‘pause’ in September.

Cross-party commitment to local climate action has gone, with some Reform-led councils cancelling Climate Emergency Declarations and removing the words ‘carbon’ and ‘climate’ related language when updating documents.

In this webinar, we explore the implications of this changed environment for local authority climate action. The webinar will be chaired by Nigel Riglar, Chair of the Climate Change Board, ADEPT and Executive Director of Place, South Gloucestershire Council.

Topics to be discussed:

1. What does the Burnham govt mean for local climate action?

2. The role of local authorities in achieving CCC carbon budgets

3. The rise of anti-net zero politics and misinformation

We have a fantastic line up of speakers, including:

– Dan Griffiths, Head of Low Carbon at Greater Manchester Combined Authority

– Louise Marix Evans, co-author of Local Authorities and the Seventh Carbon Budget

– Edward de Quay, Policy Analyst, Grantham Research Institute (London School of Economics)

The Blueprint Coalition is a politically neutral, cross-sector coalition of local government senior professionals, charities, civil society and environmental groups, and climate research institutions.

Book your (free) place via Zoom link