Nottingham has been recognised by CDP as one of 95 cities around the globe that is taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the continued pressures of tackling the coronavirus pandemic on local and national economies and societies.
Designed to encourage and support cities worldwide to ramp up their climate action and ambition, CDP’s Cities A List is based on environmental data disclosed by cities to the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting System. A clear momentum in city climate disclosure and action is building, over 1,000 cities worldwide are reporting their environmental impact through CDP in 2021. 965 cities received a rating for their climate action from CDP in 2021, a substantial rise on the 591 cities scored in 2020.
A List cities are demonstrating their climate leadership through concerted and effective action, just as national governments were asked to do at COP26. They are taking twice as many mitigation and adaptation measures as non-A List cities, and these cities also identify more than twice as many opportunities arising from the shift to a net-zero world — such as the development of sustainable transport sectors and clean technology businesses.
Nottingham is one of 11 cities in the UK named on this year’s A List, alongside Edinburgh, London, and Manchester. These cities are celebrated for showing that urgent and impactful climate action — from ambitious emissions reduction targets to building resilience against climate change — is achievable at a global level and in cities with different climate realities and priorities. However, this action needs to go further and faster to meet the new targets agreed at COP26.
In keeping with the city’s proud tradition of climate leadership, Nottingham has an ambitious plan to become the UK’s first carbon neutral city by 2028. An Action Plan to deliver this commitment began in 2020 and focuses on four key areas for action:
- Carbon reduction measures (including transport, the built environment, energy generation, waste and water, and consumption)
- Carbon removal (including local carbon sequestration, carbon capture, and large-scale carbon offsetting)
- Resilience and adaptation
- Ecology and diversity.
Some of the innovative projects Nottingham City Council are undertaking to help reach these goals are:
- 45% of the Council own vehicle fleet are now Ultra-low Emission Vehicles (ULEV) and the city was the first in the world to use Electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (e-RCVs)
- 130 public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points have been installed in the city, with 81 recently installed at the new Broadmarsh Car Park, the most for a single site in the UK so far
- 46% of the city’s bus fleet runs on bio-gas with plans for all fleet to be carbon neutral by 2028
- Nottingham City Hospital is replacing its inefficient coal-fired boilers in a £25m improvement programme, saving 800t of CO2 each year
- Since 2012, over 7,000 social and private hard-to-treat homes have been insulated and over 4,000 social housing properties had solar panels installed. In 2020, the Council secured over £13m funding for domestic energy efficiency retrofits, with over 1,200 homes included in the domestic retrofit programme.
City Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Sally Longford, said: “I’m delighted that Nottingham has been recognised as an A List City by CDP, alongside 10 other cities in the UK. Not only does this acknowledge the city’s efforts to be a leader in tackling the climate emergency, but it also demonstrates our vision to improve the quality of life for those who live and work in the city.
“Following on from COP26, we are keen to drive positive change within the city. Working alongside other A List cities — including Bristol, Manchester, and Newcastle — we can implement innovative technologies and share best practice. By measuring, disclosing, and understanding Nottingham’s environmental impact, with the help of organisations like CDP, we are able to take the urgent action needed to build a sustainable and thriving economy.”
Wayne Bexton, Director of Carbon Reduction, Energy, and Sustainability at Nottingham City Council, said: “I’m thrilled that Nottingham has received this recognition for our collective work on tackling climate change and working towards carbon neutrality.
“To be one of the top 100 cities around the globe taking leadership on environmental action is something the city should be very proud of. We know we have much work to do, but to receive accolades such as this galvanises the commitment and enables us to reflect on the significant journey we’ve come on to date.”
You can download a copy of the Nottingham 2028 Carbon Neutral Action Plan here.
You can download a copy of the Nottingham 2028 Carbon Neutral Charter here.
Header image is an aerial view of Nottingham ©dudlajzov/AdobeStock
