Greater Manchester Climate Change Strategy

Greater Manchester Climate Change Strategy
Name	Greater Manchester Climate Change Strategy
Region	Greater Manchester
Launched	2011
Updated	2019
Jurisdiction	Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Targets	Net zero by 2038 (regional)

Greater Manchester Climate Change Strategy The Greater Manchester Climate Change Strategy is a regional plan developed to coordinate emissions reductions and climate adaptation across Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester and the ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester. It builds on precedents such as the UK Climate Change Act 2008 and aligns with international frameworks like the Paris Agreement and initiatives by the European Union and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The strategy links local transport planning embodied by Transport for Greater Manchester with energy programmes involving partners such as National Grid and the Energy Saving Trust.

Background and context

Originating from policy discourse after the 2010 United Kingdom general election and regional responses to the 2008 global financial crisis, the strategy was shaped by civic actors including Manchester City Council, Salford City Council, Trafford Council, Bolton Council, Wigan Council, Oldham Council, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and Bury Metropolitan Borough Council. Influences included research from Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Manchester, and think tanks such as the Institute for Public Policy Research and New Economics Foundation. Major events and reports like the Stern Review and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments informed its risk framing alongside regional resilience work tied to Environment Agency flood modelling and Met Office climate projections.

Goals and targets

The strategy set regional objectives consistent with the ambition of the Committee on Climate Change and the national Net Zero Strategy. Key targets included a pathway to regional net zero emissions by 2038 endorsed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and reaffirmed in mayoral commitments by Andy Burnham (politician). Sectoral targets referenced transport modal shift targets in Bee Network plans, building retrofit quotas influenced by Energy Performance Certificate regimes, and renewable deployment milestones compatible with National Planning Policy Framework guidance and Local Enterprise Partnership strategies. The targets interplayed with legal instruments including the Climate Change Act 2008 and policy signals from successive Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy leaderships.

Key policies and measures

Measures combined supply- and demand-side actions: accelerating low-emission zones inspired by London low emission zone precedents, deploying district heating trials akin to projects supported by the Greater London Authority, and retrofitting social housing following models from Peabody Trust and Housing Associations partnerships. Transport interventions referenced electrification efforts similar to Manchester Metrolink expansions, integration with Northern (train operating company) services, and active travel investments paralleling Cycleway schemes. Energy system measures included local solar and battery projects comparable to Isle of Eigg community energy, collaboration with Cadent Gas on hydrogen feasibility, and industrial decarbonisation pathways echoing initiatives at Salford Quays and Trafford Park. Nature-based solutions drew on urban greening work by Royal Horticultural Society projects and river restoration approaches seen in River Irwell management.

Governance and implementation

Implementation was coordinated by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and overseen by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, with operational roles for Transport for Greater Manchester, GM Green City-Region Partnership, and delivery partners like Energy Systems Catapult and regional arms of National Grid. Governance structures involved cross-sector boards similar to the Local Enterprise Partnership model and drew on convening roles performed by bodies such as Civic Voice and the Town and Country Planning Association. Legal and procurement practice interacted with frameworks from Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and procurement precedents evidenced in Manchester International Festival infrastructure contracts.

Monitoring, reporting, and evaluation

Monitoring used data systems linked to UK Parliament-mandated inventories and reporting protocols from the Committee on Climate Change, with local datasets compiled by Greater Manchester Combined Authority analysts and researchers at University of Salford. Progress reports echoed national reporting rhythms such as the Carbon Budget cycles and referenced metrics employed by international comparators like the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. Evaluation incorporated independent reviews by organisations such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and academic audits patterned after work at Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

Stakeholder engagement and funding

Stakeholders spanned public bodies including the ten metropolitan boroughs, health partners like NHS England regional teams, business networks including Manchester Chamber of Commerce, non-governmental organisations such as Friends of the Earth, WWF-UK and the Green Alliance (organisation), and community groups exemplified by Mancunian Way campaigns. Funding blended central mechanisms like the Local Growth Fund and Levelling Up Fund with private investment from utilities, institutional capital from entities akin to Legal & General, and philanthropic contributions from trusts such as the National Lottery Community Fund. European funding histories referenced programmes like Horizon 2020 and European Regional Development Fund prior to post-Brexit arrangements.

Impacts and progress to date

Reported outcomes include reductions in regional carbon intensity, expansion of bus and rail low-emission fleets paralleling announcements by Warrington Borough Council and additions to the Metrolink fleet, and building retrofit pilots delivering energy savings as observed in case studies from Salix Finance grants. Challenges persist in aligning industrial decarbonisation in Trafford Park with national supply chains and addressing air quality issues flagged by Public Health England analyses and World Health Organization guidelines. Independent assessments by bodies like the National Audit Office and academic partners at Lancaster University and University of Manchester continue to track delivery against the 2038 net zero trajectory.

Category:Climate change in England