Collaboration in Gloucestershire is a shining example of local government leadership. An example we hope the Transport Secretary and the national government will follow in supporting regions across the country to collaborate for local Net Zero.

Since 2019 the majority of UK local authorities have declared a Climate Emergency, and 327 have produced a climate action plan of how they plan to reach Net Zero by their own target date (if they have one) of 2030, 2040 or 2050. These plans vary in length, design, topics covered and ambition. So how can you tell which council has a good climate action plan, a plan that the council is actually able to implement, and that the subsequent actions will mean that the council reaches Net Zero before 2050? Annie Pickering, Co-Director of Climate Emergency UK, writes for UK100's blog on climate action plans.

UK100's report argues that Birmingham, Camden, Hertfordshire, Leeds and Nottingham are leading the way on integrating climate and clean air policies but Ministers' "refusal to recognise the importance of joined-up policy making" is stalling wider progress.

On Friday, all the local authorities in Gloucestershire set a significant milestone by signing an agreement to work together on a county-wide project to tackle transport decarbonisation and achieve Net Zero emissions by 2045.

UK100 Chief Executive, Polly Billington, was invited to be a part of the panel at the official launch of Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE MP's Mission Zero Net Zero Review at King's College London on Monday alongside the Climate Minister, Graham Stuart MP.

UK100 welcome's the Net Zero Review's call for a "net zero local big bang" and the recognition that local authorities are vital to delivering the most successful version of Net Zero in the UK.

This is an edited version of Polly's foreword from UK100's 2022 Annual Review.

Responding to the government's new environmental targets, Jason Torrance, Assistant Chief Executive of UK100, says lives will be cut short by the lack of air quality ambition.

Responding to Ofgem's new five-year vision for Britain's energy network, which comes into force on April 1, 2023, Polly Billington, Chief Executive of UK100, calls it a "significant win" for local leaders.

The UK government has advanced a raft of new policies since 2020 to accelerate Net Zero. But many critical policy gaps remain, including in skills development and local delivery. Both need a more coherent, comprehensive approach.