Kirklees Together

We have received an ‘A’ for our efforts to tackle climate change from the independent assessor, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project).

After declaring a climate emergency in 2019, we needed a way to monitor its progress and assess our efforts in a transparent manner. Cabinet at the time agreed that the best way to do this would be to submit climate plans to the CDP each year.

The CDP is a reporting platform which is designed for cities and districts such as Kirklees to manage the environmental impact of the district they govern.

We have maintained an ‘A City’ status, which we first received in 2023. Scoring an A puts Kirklees within the top 112 ‘cities’ across the globe.

Councillor Tyler Hawkins, Cabinet Member for Highways and Waste said:

“To hear that we have been awarded an ‘A’ score yet again, is brilliant news. This places us alongside leading cities across the globe.

“The score is testament to officers across the council for continuing to consider our environmental impact at every step, and especially to our dedicated climate team. This shows the council’s continued commitment to tackling climate change, and an understanding that everyone has a part to play.

“Taking steps for the climate emergency and committing to Net Zero by 2038 doesn’t only benefit the climate, it strengthens our local economy and improves the towns and villages in which we live and work.”

To score an A, among other actions, a city or district must disclose publicly through the CDP-ICLEI Track, have a city-wide emissions inventory, and have published a climate action plan. It must also complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and have a climate adaptation goal to demonstrate how it will tackle climate hazards.

‘A List’ cities demonstrate their climate leadership through concerted and effective action, just as national governments will be asked to do at COP28. They are taking four times as many mitigation and adaptation measures as ‘non-A List’ cities.

We have achieved our ‘A-List’ status due to the ambitions outlined in our Environment Strategy, ‘Everyday Life’, and the steps we have taken, together with partners and the community, to tackle climate change. These efforts also aim to improve the environment in Kirklees so that it is greener and cleaner for people and wildlife.

In the last year, we invested in electric vehicle infrastructure – the plans will make going electric a more accessible option for more people. Alongside this, we introduced the Sustainable Fleet Board, which aims to reduce the impact of council vehicles on the environment.

We have also begun to decarbonise public buildings, which links into the development of the Huddersfield Heat Network.

Working in partnership with One Community and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), we have been supporting community organisations to reduce their emissions and protect the local environment, by delivering grants to small organisations and buildings.

Kirklees is home to diverse landscapes which each bring their own challenges and opportunities, we are working alongside Calderdale Council and key partners to deliver a landscape recovery project which aims to build resilience to extreme weather, improve biodiversity, and increase access to residents so everyone can enjoy the outdoors.

Find out how we are tackling the climate emergency and how people can play their part on our website.