Glaswegians invited to voice opinions on city’s Climate Emergency Plan

The 52-point action plan lays out how the city will change and deal with climate change over the next few years

The Glasgow City Council wants locals to have their say on the city’s Climate Emergency Plan in a bid to involve more and more people in the local government’s decision-making process. The Plan itself is divided into 52 points that are meant to lay out the city will go about achieving its ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Working with citizens on every step of the way

The Climate Emergency Plan was presented earlier in October to city councillors on the Glasgow Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Policy Committee giving them an overview of how the city will be achieving its carbon neutrality goals.

Now, after local officials have had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the document, it is up to citizens to contribute to its further development. Glaswegians are asked to give their thoughts on the plan which covers all manner of life in the city, including transport, energy and heating for homes and industry, waste reduction and recycling initiatives, enhancement of the city's natural environment, building resilience against future weather events and developing the city's green economy.

While Glasgow has already taken numerous steps to reduce its carbon footprint, the Plan acknowledges that change is happening too slow and would require massive shifts in order to for the city to achieve its targets.

Believing that only by involving all members of society in the fight against climate change City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, Councillor Anna Richardson stated that “The climate and ecological emergency is, without doubt, one of the biggest challenges faced by the council and its partners. The council must take a lead but collaboration across the public sector, the private sector and communities is vital if the challenge is to be met. It is essential that Glasgow citizens have their say on this plan as it will affect so many aspects of life in the city in the years ahead.

As the implementation plan shows Glasgow has begun to deliver the kind of change that's needed, whether that's transforming the energy efficiency of multi-storey homes, extending the availability of EV charging points or increasing the city's tree coverage. The new implementation plan puts forward a wide range of actions that will shape how we heat our homes, travel around the city and create opportunities in the green economy of the future.”