On 13 July 2021 more than 30 local leaders from across the UK, and 600 delegates from local and central government, business, NGOs, academia and trade bodies, joined the International Net Zero Local Leadership Summit and Conference. Watch each session in the links below.

A key milestone for UK local government leaders in the lead up to COP26, we co-hosted our flagship event for 2021 with Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

At the Net Zero Local Leadership Summit, 32 mayors and leaders from across the UK gathered to sign a joint declaration on delivering Net Zero in the UK.

Akin to the Paris City Hall Declaration which paved the way for the COP21 agreement, the Net Zero Local Leadership Communique argues local leaders need new powers and resources to tackle climate change with the fierce urgency of now.

Building on the commitments and actions already made by local leaders, the summit was designed to speed up the shift to Net Zero. It did this by demonstrating the power and effectiveness of local leadership on climate and the need for enhanced partnership between local government, UK national and, devolved governments and with business.

The International Net Zero Local Leadership Conference later in the day was designed to highlight some of the priorities in delivering climate action in our race to Net Zero.

Together with the summit, it forms part of a wider effort from local authorities offering a partnership to the UK government aimed at activating enhanced collaboration towards Net Zero.

It was just the start of building partnerships to support the delivery of Net Zero and we look forward to contininuing the conversation in the lead up to COP26 in Glasgow.

Content from the day

From video messages sent in by COP26 President Alok Sharma and the Mayor of LA to op-eds in The Times, get all the key content from the day below, including a recording of each session.

Watch: Net Zero Local Leadership Summit - part one

Jump to each speaker using the links below. Please note that part two was under Chatham House rules so is not available to watch.

• Whole session
• Welcome from from Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands
• Introduction by Polly Billington, Chief Executive, UK100
• Remarks by:
  • Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
  • Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council
  • Lord Deben, Chairman, Climate Change Committee
  • Alok Sharma MP, COP President Designate
  • Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, host city for COP26
• Thank you and wrap-up: Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands

Watch: International Net Zero Local Leadership Conference - opening plenary

Jump to each speaker using the links in their names below, and read more about the conference in this brochure.

• Whole session
• Polly Billington (Chair), Chief Executive Officer, UK100
• Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands
• Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, COP President Designate
• The Rt Hon. Lord Deben, Chairman, Climate Change Committee
• Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles
• Duncan Burt, Director of COP26 and Responsible Business, National Grid
• Carl Ennis, Chief Executive, Siemens plc
• Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council

Watch: International Net Zero Local Leadership Conference - the panels

• Panel 1: Financing the Net Zero transition
• Panel 2: Delivering Net Zero transport
• Panel 3: Decarbonising homes and heating
• Panel 4: Local energy planning for Net Zero
• Panel 5: Local authority powers for Net Zero
• Panel 6: Clean air and Net Zero

Some highlights included Green Finance Institute’s Chief Executive Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas launching the GFI’s excellent local climate bonds campaign on the finance panel. The LCB campaign will target all 404 UK local authorities with a cost-effective way for them to fund hundreds of green local projects ahead of COP26.

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees urged that climate action must be wrapped up with tackling other social crises and Anthony Browne MP, Chair of the APPG for the Environment, used the story of wind energy in the UK to make a powerful case for the private and public sectors working together.

Greg Clark, Group Advisor - Future Cities & New Industries at HSBC Group, argued for encouraging local authorities to develop new bankable platforms - like Bristol’s City Leap - that could see change “happen very quickly”.

On the local energy planning panel, Cheryl Hiles, Director at WMCA's Energy Capital, said national guidance must be clear on what local authorities remit is within energy and Cathryn Scott, Director, Enforcement & Emerging Issues at Ofgem, highlighted how Ofgem can use price controls as ways to fund Net Zero.

On the clean air panel, Helen Hayes MP said we need to be aligning air quality and Net Zero wherever possible, while Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor Environment & Energy at GLA, said UK climate targets can't be achieved without helping cities like London to deliver.

The Net Zero Local Leadership Communique

A joint statement by the metropolitan mayors and UK100 and its constituent members. It proposes a new, enhanced partnership between UK government and local authorities to speed up the shift to Net Zero in the UK.

Press release

Local leaders and mayors call for power shift to meet Net Zero: read here

Summit film

Video messages

Full playlist

Op-eds

• Polly Billington: Give trusted local leaders the power to tackle climate change - Times Red Box
• Andy Street: Devolved regional powers are chance to make a difference to net zero - Times Red Box

BBC Midlands Today report

Media snapshot

• Mayors demand local powers to battle climate change to help UK reach net zero - The Mirror
• West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin joins regional and city leaders in calling for more powers to hit net zero carbon targets - Yorkshire Post
• West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin talking face masks on public transport and our summit - Bloomberg Radio
• 'Power shift': Mayors and council leaders demand new powers to support net zero action - Business Green
• Give UK local authorities new powers to accelerate net-zero transition, Mayors urge Government - edie
• Local leaders call for devolved powers to reach net zero - Local Government Chronicle
• Give us the tools and we'll help save the planet from climate change, say city and region mayors - Birmingham Mail
• Bristol mayor joins city leaders calling for power shift to deliver urgent climate goals - Bristol 247
• Local leaders call for more powers to help reach net-zero - Air Quality News

Twitter highlights

Great to join @andy4wm and other local leaders at the @UK100_ conference today

Local and regional government will play a pivotal role as we work to attract new, green industries to the UK and create good, long-term jobs 👇🏿🌍 https://t.co/oZodo33SvJ%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E — Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwarteng) July 13, 2021

Here in London, we’re taking action now to get our city to net zero emissions by 2030—including the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Cities are driving the climate action our whole world needs. Learn more at today's @UK100 Summit ↓ #NetZeroLocal — Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) July 13, 2021

”Rather than [local authorities] being adversaries, the truth is we stand ready and willing to be valuable allies in our shared mission to deliver a #NetZero UK.”@SadiqKhan's msg to the government at our #NetZeroLocal Leadership Summit last week👇 @WestMids_CA @MayorofLondon pic.twitter.com/rA9JW1mO03 — UK100 (@UK100_) July 19, 2021

"We know our places, we know what we need to do to deliver #NetZero, but we need the levers + resources from you to do it at pace."@SusaninLangside's message to government at our #NetZeroLocal Leadership Summit last week.

Read more: https://t.co/QqAYFJ4BoG%3C/a%3E%3Ca href="https://twitter.com/GlasgowCC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GlasgowCC @COP26 pic.twitter.com/3vFLqlLQqk — UK100 (@UK100_) July 21, 2021

”Central government has got to use local authorities.

”Give them the powers and the resources to deliver what only they can deliver.”⚡️

It was great to have Lord Deben, Chairman of @theCCCuk, at our #NetZeroLocal Leadership Summit yesterday.@WestMids_CA pic.twitter.com/x48kxSVCdk — UK100 (@UK100_) July 14, 2021

Lots going on today (and I am not talking about my increasingly frayed attempt to home school and edit stories), but this is a big and important call from Andy Street and @UK100_ https://t.co/PmHkuzgjHU%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E — James Murray (@James_BG) July 13, 2021

”It seems so wrong that so many new build houses are adding to the 29 million that will need retrofittting.”

Cllr @LNethsingha, Leader of @CambsCC, in our #NetZeroLocal Leadership Conference panel on decarbonising homes and heating. pic.twitter.com/bhd68XgMla — UK100 (@UK100_) July 13, 2021

Mayors demand local powers to battle climate change to help UK reach net zero. @UK100_ https://t.co/TN5Rdmrt6o%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E — Joss Garman (@jossgarman) July 13, 2021

Great to be joined by @beisgovuk @KwasiKwarteng at #NetZeroLocal Summit to hear our “offers and asks” as local leaders and mayors call for a new relationship with central government to tackle climate change. Details on @UK100_ website. pic.twitter.com/36lOkBejP2 — Ed Cox (@edcox_devo) July 13, 2021

Kicking off the Net Zero Transport session @UK100_ #NetZeroLocal is @AndyBurnhamGM outlining how we need to change 'Car is King' in urban areas🚶♀️👨🦯👩🦽🚴♀️🚌🚎🚉 lots to be done... 🙌 pic.twitter.com/i56GroZ107 — Dr Bartington (@cleanair_doc) July 13, 2021

I'm delighted that @LewishamCouncil is supporting the @UK100_ communique for a Net Zero UK.

As part of our climate action to be a carbon neutral borough by 2030, we are committed to transforming jobs, homes and transport for a greener Lewisham.#NetZeroLocal — Damien Egan (@damienegan) July 13, 2021

Conference sponsors

We'd like to say a big thank you to our business partners for supporting the conference. Watch their take on the importance of local climate action.

Watch the summit