Minister for Climate Change Joan Ruddock announced the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust will work with Bristol, Leeds and Manchester to develop individual city-wide action plans to achieve low carbon economies which are both prosperous and sustainable.
Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears stated: "Climate change is an issue which impacts on everyone, whether you live in the country or in an urban area, as this summer's floods showed. Everyone must play their part in helping to reduce their impact on the environment and cities have a vital role to play in tackling climate change issues.
"By working to reduce their carbon emissions, through improvements such as renewable energy, public transport, energy efficiency and waste and water management, cities can make a real difference.
Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears stated: "Climate change is an issue which impacts on everyone, whether you live in the country or in an urban area, as this summer's floods showed. Everyone must play their part in helping to reduce their impact on the environment and cities have a vital role to play in tackling climate change issues.
"By working to reduce their carbon emissions, through improvements such as renewable energy, public transport, energy efficiency and waste and water management, cities can make a real difference.
The local authority and local stakeholder initiatives could include renewable energy and trigeneration (creating power, heat and cooling from a single source) along with energy saving measures such as insulation and promoting cycling to work.
Key public service bodies, businesses and community leaders in each of the cities will contribute to the strategy and its implementation.
Key public service bodies, businesses and community leaders in each of the cities will contribute to the strategy and its implementation.
The £250,000 of funding from Defra will also benefit the other members of the Core Cities Group - Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield - by producing audits of current emissions and identifying cost effective carbon saving opportunities.
The programme will establish a city-wide CO2 baseline, show emission totals and provide a detailed breakdown of where emissions come from. The data gathered will allow cities to forecast how changes to certain areas will most effectively cut emissions.
The programme will establish a city-wide CO2 baseline, show emission totals and provide a detailed breakdown of where emissions come from. The data gathered will allow cities to forecast how changes to certain areas will most effectively cut emissions.
This project is focused on the UK's major cities to develop a network of good practice in deploying technology and exploring emerging sustainable energy opportunities.
The Council will deliver a targeted regional programme in key UK cities to stimulate high level support for action on sustainable energy and build networks with the energy sector. The Council will also deliver a series of events to investigate how policy can be improved to enable the growth of new low-carbon technologies.
"Our cities were once at the forefront of the industrial revolution. Now they have the opportunity to lead the way again and be the driving force behind our push to a low carbon economy.
"Creating targeted action plans will help them achieve this by setting a clear path for cutting emissions,” said Ruddock, adding: “The Low Carbon Cities Programme will illustrate that meeting the challenge of climate change and building prosperity in our cities can and should go hand in hand."
"Creating targeted action plans will help them achieve this by setting a clear path for cutting emissions,” said Ruddock, adding: “The Low Carbon Cities Programme will illustrate that meeting the challenge of climate change and building prosperity in our cities can and should go hand in hand."
