Newcastle City Council has published a report to highlight the progress being made towards reaching net zero in the city.
In 2019, Newcastle became the first city in the world to have key anchor institutions aligned in declaring a climate emergency. Following the declaration, it announced a number of priority areas to help reduce citywide emissions and protect the environment.
Between the declaration and 2022, the last full year for which figures are available, citywide emissions were down by more than 10 per cent.
The council has continued to work with communities and partners – local, national and international – to highlight the impact of climate change, reduce emissions, and lobby for change.
The authority’s priority actions cover a range of aspects of life in the city, including residential properties, public buildings and development; low-carbon heat networks; transport and travel; tree planting and flooding infrastructure; waste, recycling and food; green skills and careers and more.
Cllr Juna Sathian, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for Climate and Transport, said: “Tackling climate change is a fundamental element of everything we do as an organisation, and I’m incredibly proud of the efforts that have gone into the progress that’s already been made.
“While we recognise there is a long way to go and achieving net zero will require ongoing and scaled-up government support, we can see from our 2024 update that by working together with communities, businesses, public bodies and other stakeholders, there is the will and ability to create lasting change for the good of our planet.
“I’m really pleased to see the progress that is being made against our priority actions that cover a range of interventions from tackling Newcastle’s biggest source of emissions, household energy emissions, to developing a citywide Movement Strategy and helping children and young people understand the future career opportunities available to them through green skills and industries.
“As a city we’ve come a long way since declaring a climate emergency and we’re heading in the right direction.”
Highlights from Newcastle City Council’s 2024 net zero priority action update include:
- Established the Newcastle Climate Change Forum
- 300,000 trees planted in 2024 by the North East Community Forest across the region
- Launched a food waste trial in September which saw more than 100 tonnes of food waste collected
- CDP ‘A’ Grade Status – Newcastle has retained its top ‘A’ grade rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), making it one of only 19 places in the UK and 122 worldwide to achieve this recognition. This demonstrates the city’s sustained progress in tackling carbon emissions.
- FAO-UNESCO Green Cities Initiative Youth Engagement Award – In July 2024, Newcastle received this award from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in September, recognising the city's efforts in engaging young people in climate action. This includes the annual Youth Climate Summit and the establishment of a Youth Council, ensuring young voices are integral to our sustainability strategy.
- Funding approved for decarbonisation of Jesmond and Elswick pools and other public buildings and residential schemes.
- Expansion of heat networks across the city – e.g. Helix network expansion to provide efficiencies to additional sites.
- Development of Blue Green Newcastle - a recently established partnership between Newcastle City Council, the Environment Agency, the Freeman of the City and Northumbrian Water, seeking to incorporate blue-green infrastructure across the city to manage surface water flow and mitigate flooding risks.
- Newcastle City Council accredited ‘gold’ Cycle Friendly Employer
- Launched consultation on developing a Movement Strategy to transform how people and goods move around the city, with a focus on sustainability, inclusivity, and efficiency.
To find out more about Newcastle’s priority actions and the progress on its net zero journey, visit https://new.newcastle.gov.uk/climate-change-and-net-zero
Read the full 2024 Net Zero 2024 Action Plan update.