New Report: Local authorities leading the way as Ministers drag feet on integrating clean air and Net Zero policies
A new report argues that Birmingham, Camden, Hertfordshire, Leeds and Nottingham are leading the way in integrating climate and clean air policies but Ministers' "refusal to recognise the importance of joined-up policy making" is stalling wider progress.
The report "What CANZ be done?" was released today [30 January 2023] by UK100, the UK's only cross-party network of local leaders committed to ambitious Net Zero and clean air action. It follows the release of the organisation's "Yes We CANZ!" report in June 2022, which introduced the concept of "Clean Air Net Zero" (CANZ) — ensuring Net Zero policies include a clean air audit and vice versa.
It also comes in the wake of a new study published in The Lancet that finds clean air and Net Zero action will give people in England and Wales an extra 2 million years of life.
It argued not enough has yet been done to learn from the mistakes that led to dieselgate, where diesel vehicles were promoted across Europe as a climate-friendly option without regard to the increase in deadly air pollution emissions associated with diesel combustion. CANZ was raised in Parliament earlier this month [16 January 2023] when Defra Minister Rebecca Pow MP with a flat refusal to a Written Question from Shadow Minister Stephen Morgan MP asking whether Defra would consider the recommendations in UK100’s "Yes We CANZ!" report.
"What CANZ be done?", which features case studies on the joined-up CANZ action being taken by cross-party local leaders in Birmingham City Council, the London Borough of Camden, Hertfordshire County Council, Leeds City Council and Nottingham City Council, will be sent directly to Defra with a plea from UK100 for Ministers to reconsider their reluctance to engage the issue.
Read the Report here (pdf)
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Posted On: 30/01/2023