Column: Jemima Parker, Zero Carbon Harrogate - Can North Yorkshire follow where Leeds leads?

Leeds City Council has recently been recognised as one of 122 city authorities across the world leading the way on climate action. Leeds sits alongside cities like New York, Paris, Melbourne, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and Cape Town on the 2022 ‘A List’ published by renowned international authority, the Carbon Disclosure Project.

To score an A a city must be completely transparent about its bold climate action plan, measure carbon emissions for the whole city, complete a climate risk assessment and plan to tackle climate hazards.

Leeds City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019, and both Harrogate District Council and North Yorkshire County Council also recognise the urgency needed to respond to the new reality of a rapidly changing climate that is impacting all our lives.

From April 1 the new North Yorkshire Council will be a unitary authority, like Leeds, and will have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and implement climate action policies across the whole county. Adapting to the 21st century challenges of a changed climate will look different across our market towns and countryside, but there is much we can learn from looking south to Leeds.

Recognising that about a quarter of the city’s carbon emissions come from heating homes, they are investing £100m in their social housing to make tenants homes more energy efficient, so that they have cheaper energy bills and warmer homes.

Leeds already has an award-winning low carbon district heating network, called Leeds PIPES. The network of 26km of insulated underground pipes supplied heating to thousands of homes and businesses last year and helped reduce the city’s carbon footprint by more than 2,000 tonnes CO2.

Connecting Leeds is a £270m public transport programme which is reducing congestion, improving air quality and accessibility. Leeds even has the UK’s first solar-powered park and ride, Stourton Park.

Following the devastation of the 2015 Boxing Day floods, there has been a focus on climate adaptation for the City too. Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme has been readied for deployment over 100 times and operated eight times since its completion five years ago, helping to protect 3,000 residential properties, 500 businesses and 22,000 jobs from flooding.

Zero Carbon Harrogate is calling on North Yorkshire County Council to take inspiration from our neighbours in Leeds and take bold action to tackle the climate emergency. ZCH volunteers have been meeting local councillors to discuss the opportunities to develop inspiring and creative plans that meet the needs of our local communities. There’s much to be done, and quickly, but we’re feeling enthusiastic about the challenge ahead.

Zero Carbon Harrogate is a charity run by local volunteers, get in touch if you would like to find out more [email protected].