07 Jun 2022

Metro Mayors and leaders from across the UK tell Government they are ready to lead country to net zero carbon

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham has joined other metro mayors and leaders from across the UK to ask for greater powers and funding so they can lead the country to net zero carbon in a way that’s fair for everyone.

At the Decarbonisation Summit event at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 7 June 2022, eight English metro mayors – including Mr Burnham -and the leader of Glasgow City Council, released the following joint statement:

Metro mayors and leaders across the UK are ready to lead the country to net zero carbon, but need to be backed by Government with new powers and more resources.

We have each developed detailed plans for our regions to accelerate the drive to net zero carbon – in most areas by at least a decade ahead of the Government’s 2050 national target.

We know that we can play a crucial role in getting the whole of the UK to net zero carbon, creating a ripple across the country. By freeing the city regions up, we will be able to establish the skill base, new technologies and experience to lay the path for the rest of UK to succeed. 

This is much more than getting to net zero carbon, however. What we’re setting out to achieve is a greener future, but also a fairer one.

We all have plans to do this. For instance, as we work to decarbonise, many of us will also look to reduce fares for public transport or keep them affordable – with a joint commitment to ensure they remain as low as possible.

We are all developing plans to decarbonise homes through a retrofitting programme – which can also help to reduce people’s energy bills and create good jobs.

We are ready to grasp the opportunities that the transition to zero carbon offers to our economies, but we need more regional powers to develop and maintain the skills we need to fill the jobs we create.

We will share best practice and research with each other and together explore opportunities around innovation, joining our regions up to create a country-wide impact. However, we need the Government to work with us on this.

We are asking for greater regional powers over issues like skills and a funding package that matches our ambitions so we can drive the whole country to net zero carbon. This is a golden opportunity for the Government to work with us to decarbonise the country and level it up at the same time.

Issued on behalf of:

• Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham
• Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson
• Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram
• Mayor of North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll
• Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard
• Mayor of West of England, Dan Norris
• Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin
• Leader of Glasgow City Council, Susan Aitken
• Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan