An ambitious set of principles which sets out Leicestershire’s commitment to tackling climate change and nature decline has been drawn up by the county council in partnership with a number of key stakeholders from leading organisations.
The Leicestershire Climate and Nature Pact is based on the principles of the Glasgow Climate Pact, signed by the UK government in November 2021. This supports national and international efforts by bringing together businesses, voluntary, community and social enterprises, universities, education and research sector, public sector and people of Leicestershire to drive local action and work towards a number of shared environmental aims.
The core requirements of the Pact specify the need to act on climate change; reducing carbon emissions to net zero; reducing the impacts of climate change; halting ecological decline and supporting climate recovery; enabling climate action; and working together to deliver greater action.
The Pact – which stands as a statement of intent on the county’s climate action pledges – was officially launched at a signing ceremony last week, attended by representatives from more than 40 organisations who gathered to share their ideas on how to work together towards the common goal of making Leicestershire a net zero county by 2045.
The first 18 signatories to the Leicestershire Climate and Nature Pact are:
1. Leicestershire County Council
2. De Montfort University
3. National Forest
4. Green Fox Community Energy
5. Loughborough University
6. University of Leicester
7. Midlands Net Zero Hub
8. Oadby and Wigston Borough Council
9. Cenex
10. North West Leicestershire District Council
11. LLEP
12. Environment Agency
13. Charnwood Borough Council
14. Tilton Green (community group in Tilton on the Hill)
15. Tilton Electric Car Club
16. Halstead Hill Farm
17. Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
18. Blaby District Council
The council is now calling on other organisations and groups across the county to sign up to the pact and play their part in combating climate change and nature decline.
Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and green agenda, said:
“The Leicestershire Climate and Nature Pact underlines the urgent need for organisations in the county to work together to deliver our climate commitments, and highlights the fact that we can’t reach net zero on our own – we need a team effort. We are leading by example and encouraging partners, businesses, groups and organisations to get involved to help shape a greener future for the county, and for generations to come.”
The newly-launched Pact supports Leicestershire County Council’s Net Zero Strategy & Action Plan, which sets out the scale of the climate emergency, declared in Leicestershire in 2019, and the need to urgently reduce carbon emissions. It shares how the authority will lead, enable and inspire people in Leicestershire to achieve the net zero goal. Organisations can sign up to the principles of the Leicestershire Climate and Nature Pact here.
The Net Zero Leicestershire Strategy and Action plan can be found on the Council’s new Net Zero web pages, which have been developed to make the Council’s Net Zero information and resources easier to access and to increase involvement with residents.