"It is absolutely crucial that councils are at the forefront of the national response to climate change and we need the Government to work in partnership with local authorities to continue shaping local areas and help to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner."
Responding to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee report into local government and the path to net zero, Cllr Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said:
“Councils understand the urgent need to tackle climate change and have been making active changes in their communities to benefit the environment. It is absolutely crucial that councils are at the forefront of the national response to climate change and we need the Government to work in partnership with local authorities to continue shaping local areas and help to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.
“The majority of councils have declared a climate emergency and many have been devising and implementing new ways of reducing their carbon footprint.
“Already we’ve seen waste collections getting more efficient and recycling rates increasing over the past decade; investment in flood defences; electric vehicle infrastructure improvements; and a focus on parks and green spaces, which create cleaner air in our communities and thriving habitats for wildlife.
“The position of councils as place-shapers, convenors of communities and businesses, asset-owners, problem solvers and with significant purchasing and market shaping powers, puts them at the forefront of delivering real, tangible changes in the transition to net zero.
“There is still a long way to go in our work to protect our planet, but if we are to hit national targets, councils will be at the core of that.”