Greater Manchester is unveiling a new plan to capture the benefits of green growth and create a city-region where everyone can live well in a nature-rich environment.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, launches new Five-Year Environment Plan at the Greater Manchester Green Summit. He outlined how the city-region can stay on target to hit carbon neutrality by 2038, while supporting communities to thrive.
The plan set out how public and private sector organisations, national government, and communities can work together to become carbon neutral by 2038. Greater Manchester can be front and centre of the green industrial revolution, driving us to our 2038 ambitions.
Greater Manchester’s new Five-Year Environment Plan set out how we will:
- Improve the standard of existing housing and build 30,000 new affordable net zero homes which will be cheaper to rent and cheaper to run as part of our Housing First mission to ensure everyone has a good, permanent home.
- Develop a fully integrated carbon-neutral tap-in-tap-out public transport system. Our Bee Network is encouraging more people to get around by wheeling, walking, bus, tram and train. We are moving further and faster than any other region in the country on the electrification of our public transport and we will power the majority of the network with homegrown clean energy.
- Stimulate growth in clean sectors and create good quality long-term employment opportunities. Through the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc), we are connecting young people with jobs and training in sectors that are growing in Greater Manchester, giving them a clear line of sight to careers in our Green Economy.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:
“We believe that achieving carbon neutrality by 2038, whilst very challenging, is still achievable – but we cannot do it alone.
“It’s by working together and with our communities, that we will ensure every person can live well in a healthy, nature-rich environment, while supporting our region’s economic growth.
“Our Five-Year Plan is our vision to capture the benefits and the opportunities of green growth, setting out how protecting and enhancing the natural environment can boost the economy and help communities to thrive.
“This is fundamental to the success of Greater Manchester, and I am proud that we are leading the way to becoming carbon neutral.”
Urgent action is needed to tackle carbon emissions and reverse the decline of the natural environment across the city region. To have a significant impact on our carbon emissions, we must change the way we heat our homes and move people, goods and services across the city region. We also need to reduce pressures on the natural environment and integrate nature into our urban areas.
The annual Green Summit brings together a wide range of organisations, community groups, and stakeholders, working alongside the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, to collaborate and chart a course towards achieving our carbon-neutral targets.
Cllr Tom Ross, Greater Manchester Green City-Region Lead, said:
“Our new Five-Year Plan is incredibly ambitious as we are determined to hit our goals of being a carbon neutral city-region by 2038. Our natural environment is vital for everyone in Greater Manchester, and it is right that we put in place bold plans to protect and enhance it.
“The Green Summit is always a great environment for collaboration and highlights just how much work is happening with our partners to tackle the climate crisis.”
The first Five-Year Environment Plan was published in 2019 at the second Greater Manchester Green Summit. This new Five-Year Plan goes even further to reach our 2038 targets while building on the progress made in the last five years.
It not only covers how we can reduce carbon emissions from our buildings, energy and transport infrastructure but also outlines measures to increase economic growth whilst reducing our waste, improving air and water quality and increasing our resilience to future climate impacts.
