Councils are to have their climate change actions assessed as part of a new extensive survey.
Climate Emergency UK said this is the first time a comprehensive list of the actions councils can take to tackle the climate emergency has been created.
Annie Pickering, co-director for the group, said the project would cover more than 400 councils across the UK.
“Up to 30% of emissions are within the scope and influence of local authorities in the UK. We want to see councils are really doing everything they can within their powers to tackle the climate emergency.
“Some councils are already doing a really good job and these scorecards will highlight that – there are some councils who claim to be doing a good job, but perhaps that won’t be reflected in the scorecards.”
Annie Pickering, Climate Emergency UK
Ms Pickering said the results will help hold councils to account and to encourage them to do more.
This is the second survey by the group, with the first in 2021 assessing planned actions by councils.
“Although the topics are similar the questions have changed [this time] because we want to be able to measure actual actions.
“You’ve got a whole question on measurable actions that councils might have done to decarbonise transport, such as are they supporting shared bike or scooter schemes, and what is their busridership for the area.
“They aren’t impossible metrics that we’re looking at. Some might be hard and a challenge, but we’re saying what is possible from councils rather than expecting them to do something that they simply don’t have the power to do.
“It’s more tangible and has measurable actions this time.”
Annie Pickering, Climate Emergency UK
Climate Emergency UK methodology will score each council on seven sections:
- Buildings and heating
- Transport
- Governance and finance
- Planning
- Biodiversity
- Collaboration and engagement
- Waste reduction and food
The scores will be based on publicly available information from the councils – including freedom of information requests – and national data sets.
There will be a three stage marking process, starting with volunteers generating a draft score, then a right of reply will be offered for all the councils.
“They can respond to and let us know if we made any errors, if we have misunderstood something, or in a rare case where we’ve given them a mark they don’t agree with.
“The third stage has a much smaller team of volunteers for a better standardisation who review and audit the two marks and give the final score.”
Annie Pickering, Climate Emergency UK
Climate Emergency UK will start scoring councils in January and the scorecard results will be published in Autumn 2023.
People can register their interesting in supporting the project online.
