Sustainability and climate change
Tackling the causes and consequences of climate change
Coventry, as the 2nd largest city in the West Midlands, has an important leadership role to play in tackling today’s most pressing issue – climate change. The Council recognised the importance of this as far back as 2008, having been a founding signatory of what is now known as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. Coventry was also one of the first cities, in 2012, to produce a Climate Change Strategy. The city’s 2012 strategy set a target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 27.5% by the year 2020. Coventry achieved this in 2014 (six years early). A new Green Futures Strategy is in development, one that ensures ambitious goals that embrace the challenges that climate change and delivering a sustainable future presents with the urgency it requires.
The Council’s draft new One Coventry Plan for 2022-2030 also elevates climate change to the Council’s top priorities - alongside the city’s prosperity and tackling inequalities. It sets out the Council’s relentless focus on tackling the causes of climate change and mitigating the inevitable consequences of this, to ensure the wellbeing of our residents and position Coventry as a leader and pioneer of the green industrial revolution.
Independent Coventry Climate Change Board
In November 2021, the Council facilitated the development of an independent Coventry Climate Change Board to address the major challenges of climate change, development of a circular economy and loss of biodiversity.
The Board, chaired by Margot James of the Warwickshire Manufacturing Group with Councillor Jim O’Boyle, consisting of senior representatives from major businesses, public agencies, charities, and voluntary organisations based in the city to work in collaboration on developing and implementing a strategy and action plan to address sustainability and climate change issues across the City.
Both the City Council and the Board have adopted the ‘International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives’ five Development Pathways which address the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Five development pathways
The Council has adopted the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives’ (ICLEI) Five Development Pathways:
Low emissions pathway: renewable energy generation; energy from waste; retrofitting properties; electrification of vehicles; public transport; active travel; towards a 15-minute city.
Circular economy pathway: minimisation of waste, and maximising recycling participation.
Nature based pathway: understanding the distribution of species and their conservation status and promoting biodiversity.
Resilient pathway: addressing key risks with the change in climate and a greater incidence of extreme weather events such as flooding, heatwaves, and droughts.
Equitable & people centred pathway: recognising that the effects of climate change and environmental deterioration affect communities disproportionately, particularly those on lower incomes who are most likely to be the first to suffer the consequences of climate change.