“Our future will not be conceived or implemented as a unitary plan. It will be invented in this way: piecemeal, haphazardly, locally. As modern societies steer away from government and towards governance, and from hierarchical control to networks, influence is inexorably shifting to citizens. The localism of our time is not narrow-minded parochialism or insular thinking; it is connected and emergent.”
- Civic Revolution
In the UK, local councils are the most common type of local government authority, and they touch the lives of everybody, every day. There are 408 principal councils across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To date, over one hundred of these councils have declared a “climate emergency”; the rest will follow, sooner rather than later. The majority of the councils that have declared a climate emergency have pledged to become net carbon zero by 2030, twenty years ahead of the national target. They are the ones who are leading the way, in their ambition and actions. Engaged citizens and progressive local authorities (municipal and otherwise) move faster, and this is a critical advantage given the urgency of the social and environmental challenges we face. The future is already here – it is just not very evenly distributed. A transition to a zero carbon economy in the UK is technically achievable, according to the Committee on Climate Change (the statutory committee set up to advise the UK and its devolved governments on tackling and preparing for climate change). The committee acknowledges that many of the policies that will drive this progress will not be designed in Westminster – they are devolved decisions that will be defined and implemented at local government level. By scaling down to scale up, 408 councils can make massive small change. Find out more…
In the UK, local councils are the most common type of local government authority, and they touch the lives of everybody, every day. There are 380 principal councils across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This number is multiplied almost thirty times when you include all the town, parish, community, neighbourhood and village councils.
To date, three-quarters of all principal councils have declared an environmental and climate emergency, with the majority pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 – twenty years ahead of the national target. They are the ones who are leading the way, in their ambition and their actions. The future is already here, it's just not very evenly distributed.
The transition to a low carbon economy in the UK is technically achievable, according to the Committee on Climate Change (the statutory committee set up to advise the UK and its devolved governments on tackling and preparing for climate change). At the same time, the committee acknowledges that many of the positive changes needed will not be developed in Westminster – they will be defined and implemented locally.
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Carbon Copy is a UK-based, non-profit organisation that exists to turn individual concern about our climate into collective impact. Passionate communities, progressive councils and purpose-led companies can move faster together, which is critical given the urgency of the climate and nature crisis. By scaling down to scale up, we can make local change massive.
In the UK, local councils are the most common type of local government authority, and they touch the lives of everybody, every day. There are 408 principal councils across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To date, over one hundred of these councils have declared a “climate emergency”; the rest will follow, sooner rather than later. The majority of the councils that have declared a climate emergency have pledged to become net carbon zero by 2030, twenty years ahead of the national target. They are the ones who are leading the way, in their ambition and actions. Engaged citizens and progressive local authorities (municipal and otherwise) move faster, and this is a critical advantage given the urgency of the social and environmental challenges we face. The future is already here – it is just not very evenly distributed. A transition to a zero carbon economy in the UK is technically achievable, according to the Committee on Climate Change (the statutory committee set up to advise the UK and its devolved governments on tackling and preparing for climate change). The committee acknowledges that many of the policies that will drive this progress will not be designed in Westminster – they are devolved decisions that will be defined and implemented at local government level. By scaling down to scale up, 408 councils can make massive small change. Find out more…
Find out more.
