Salford is at risk of further climate issues following weekend flooding according to a new report from Friends of the Earth.
The green campaigners say urgent action is still needed to reduce carbon emissions locally and nationally despite progress in reducing emissions.
Salford has historically seen high levels of carbon emissions but Mayor Paul Dennett is aiming for the city to be carbon neutral by 2038.
At @SalfordCouncil we’ve committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2038, & the installation of these solar car ports across the city are a significant step in a journey to deliver a greener, fairer Salford. https://t.co/00HHmpATVF
— SalfordMayor (@salford_mayor) September 25, 2024
Projects so far include Green Wheels, which encourages sustainable transport, LED street lighting, a £126 million investment in green spaces and adding solar panels to council buildings.
But the Friends of the Earth report says the UK climate policy as a whole is off track, and calls for a ‘lawful, fair and ambitious” new climate plan. It says statistics show Salford is falling behind compared to most areas of the UK.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has committed to cutting 81% of UK emissions by 2035 at the UN climate summit. A new climate plan will be drawn up in the next few months to explain how that will be achieved.
The Friends of the Earth report says Salford and other councils in Greater Manchester need to do more.
The report finds that Labour has not yet delivered on many of the 10 urgent priority recommendations advised by the Climate Change Committee, and after four months, the government has only partially put policies in place for three of the matters, and fully for just one.
Catherine Thomson, the Friends of the Earth co-ordinator for Salford and Greater Manchester, said: “The new government must create a fair and ambitious plan that upholds the legacy of the Climate Change Act and improves the lives of communities.
“If we do not go further and faster to cut emissions and ensure a just transition, people in Greater Manchester will continue to experience fuel poverty and health issues caused by poorly insulated homes, local flooding, wildfires, high levels of air pollution and the health impacts of extreme heat.
“Over the next few days we will be delivering copies of the Climate at a Crossroads report to all 27 MPs across Greater Manchester urging them to support a climate plan that provides a just transition and delivers warm homes, affordable clean energy, reliable public transport and green jobs.”
Friends of the Earth’s big climate plan suggests that policies need to be more credible, with more investment to ensure everyone in Salford has a warm home powered by cheap, clean energy.
The plan also adds that transport needs to be clean and affordable for citizens, and more green jobs need to emerge.
Friends of the Earth highlights the importance that the central and local government have, and that meaningful change is important in order to reduce emissions in Salford and elsewhere.
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