The challenge we're facing

Local authorities across Britain are ambitious on climate action, yet they lack the powers and stable funding needed to deliver at pace and scale. Around 80% of emissions are within the scope of local authority influence, yet without a statutory duty on climate, climate action continues to be deprioritised amidst other pressures. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill represents the biggest devolution opportunity in 50 years, but falls short of providing meaningful climate powers and fiscal devolution.

Meanwhile, local government reorganisation and devolution creates risks that existing climate policies could disappear or be unpicked by new administrations, particularly as ambitious district councils are phased out. Local leaders need the tools to tackle the climate crisis and deliver cleaner air for their communities.

What's holding us back?

Limited climate powers

The Devolution Bill lacks key climate powers, raising questions about how devolution will support local action and help unlock wider community benefits. Strategic authorities need proper powers over transport planning, clean air initiatives, local nature recovery, and green skills development.

Lack of fiscal devolution

The Bill does not address fiscal devolution, long-term integrated funding across departments, or the consolidation of local growth funding into a single pot. This creates uncertainty over whether strategic authorities will have stable resources to use their new powers effectively.

Lack of cross-departmental coordination

There is no common climate-aligned message from across government that reaches local authorities, nor a single common point of guidance and support from government for local authorities wanting to act on place-based schemes that deliver across multiple government department outcomes. Currently, there is no central body to monitor local climate progress and delivery — it is a series of siloed efforts across multiple parts of the national and local state.

No statutory climate duty

Without clear legal obligations, climate action gets deprioritised when councils face competing pressures and budget constraints. Local authorities need statutory backing to make climate a core responsibility across all their functions.

Our recommendations for government

To unlock the potential of local authorities to deliver clean air and climate action at pace and scale, we need:

1. Include a statutory climate duty in the Devolution Bill

Establish clear legal obligations for strategic authorities to act on climate change, with the necessary powers and funding to deliver. This should include accountability mechanisms and regular monitoring across transport, planning, housing, and economic development.

2. Devolve meaningful climate powers

Give strategic authorities proper powers over clean air zones, local transport planning, nature recovery strategies, green skills development, and sustainable planning. Enable them to take integrated approaches that connect climate action with health, economic development, and community wellbeing.

3. Enable fiscal devolution with integrated funding

Move away from short-term competitive funding towards multi-year place-based grants that enable long-term planning and delivery. Consolidate local growth funding into a single pot with genuine local control over climate priorities.

4. Protect climate expertise during reorganisation

Ensure that ambitious climate policies and expertise are retained and strengthened during local government reorganisation, not lost or diluted in new structures. Provide guidance and support for new unitary authorities to embed climate action from day one.

5. Establish a cross-departmental local climate delivery authority

Create a dedicated body to coordinate climate priorities between national and local government, establishing clear roles and responsibilities, providing guidance and assessing performance. This would cut through bureaucratic barriers, drive efficiency and innovation, and ensure departments work together rather than in silos.

Progress to date

Biggest devolution opportunity in 50 years — The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is now progressing through Parliament

117 — Ambitious councils in our network leading local climate action across Britain

Cross-party support — Parliamentary recognition of the need for local climate powers, with support across political parties for place-based climate delivery

Following sustained lobbying from the sector, including UK100, government has introduced devolution legislation. Now we need to ensure it includes the climate powers and duties local areas need to deliver.

Local leadership in action

Integrated climate leadership

Combined authorities are already demonstrating what's possible with devolved powers, delivering integrated place-based strategies that align climate action with inclusive growth, public health, and community development. Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Liverpool City Region show how larger-scale governance enables coherent systems-wide transformation.

Results achieved:

• Integrated transport, planning, and climate policies.
• Coordinated approach across multiple council areas.
• Alignment of climate action with economic development and health outcomes.
• Proven model for place-based climate delivery at scale.

This shows the potential when local authorities have the powers and scale to design comprehensive solutions that work for their communities.

Join our campaign

Help us ensure the government's devolution agenda puts climate action at its heart, giving local authorities the powers and funding to deliver clean air and thriving places in every community.