Climate change pathway

There is strong scientific evidence to show that our climate is changing as a direct result of human activity.

The impacts are being felt across the globe, and the need for co-ordinated world action is clear. The world will need to change what it produces and consumes and how it mitigates actions

Coventry City Council is committed to playing its part in the drive to zero carbon while making sure the most vulnerable and at risk from climate change are engaged and supported, and that the opportunities for the green industrial revolution with all the jobs and economic benefits it brings are maximised. Over the last ten years, we have delivered a range of projects and activities to help reduce carbon emissions. This includes creating solar farms, improving the energy efficiency of public buildings, and pioneering ground-breaking, low-carbon transport like the Coventry Very Light Rail. This new strategy, which will remain under review to ensure it is a living, responsive document, sets out what we will be doing to help mitigate climate change and build local resilience to the impacts. We have set up a Climate Change Board made up of senior representatives from local charities, businesses and public agencies who are working together to find solutions to the challenges alongside creating opportunities for boosting jobs and the local economy.

We have developed a draft strategy for creating a sustainable zero carbon city, and we would like to hear your views about the strategy and what it is aiming to achieve. One thing is clear – Coventry alone cannot fix the global climate crisis. But like cities across the country and world, we need to play our part, and we have to encourage and enable you to play your part too. We will be working to raise awareness of the issues across the city, encouraging grassroots activities that will help us address practical issues on the ground. The City Council and its partners will be working with communities to make changes across the city. The Government has the major responsibility in helping the country deliver its target for creating net zero emissions by 2050, so we will be playing an active role with our partners and local communities in lobbying the Government for change.

There are things that we can and should do now and in the future, and these are all focussed on five areas of work or pathways to change:

1. Low emission development: Low emissions and new economic opportunities
2. Circular development: Recycling and reusing our resources
3. Nature-based development: Protecting habitats and our city’s wildlife
4. Resilient development: Coping with the consequences of climate change
5. Equitable development: Addressing the effects of climate change on vulnerable low-income families