In recent months the world has changed in unimaginable ways, but while the pandemic has rightly become the pressing priority of local and regional government across the world, the need for the sector to reassess its response to climate change has never been greater.
As a global adviser to local and regional government, DWF has seen a pronounced increase in authorities around the world declaring a climate emergency. Increasingly, we are finding that this is shaping the advice we are providing for our clients in the sector through: procurement, asset rationalisation and, grants and incentives to support local business; right through to town centre regeneration, infrastructure, transport systems, local waste and energy schemes and climate change litigation cases. It has become a core part of our day to day interaction with public bodies.
In producing this report 'What now for climate change?', DWF in association with LGC (Local Government Chronicle) discuss some of the world's leading local and regional government responses to the climate emergency and interview leading experts about their challenges and achievements. In recent months we've seen the importance of insight beyond our own borders in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and in this report one of the key messages is that we can be learning from and collaborating with authorities across the world in identifying our own response to climate change. We hope that the insight that this report contains will help you chart your own response.
Colin Murray, Head of Local Government identifies 6 actions that local and regional governments must consider in order to get their approach to the climate emergency right.
