Yorkshire and Humber will exceed carbon limits within six years

Carbon limits needed to contain global warming could be breached within six years in the Yorkshire and Humber region, a new report warns. 

The Yorkshire and Humber Climate Action Report calls for meaningful climate leadership from larger institutions in government and the public and private sectors to deliver ‘significant, tangible contributions’ to help tackle the climate and ecological crisis. 

The report makes three key recommendations: 

• Fostering shared responsibility 
• Moving targets and planning to action 
• Putting climate and nature at the heart of all areas of decision making

The report also stresses the need for Yorkshire and Humber to be ‘climate ready’ to face increasing risks from climate change, stating that not acting with the required urgency will worsen local impacts and prolong the region’s contribution to the problem. 

Andy Gouldson, director of the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission said: ‘As a commission, we have brought together climate leaders from all sorts of organisations and groups, and we have worked extensively with stakeholders from across the region to develop this plan.

‘It’s been a mammoth undertaking, but it’s hugely important that people are involved in the process and we are very happy with the outcome. We now have to start the really hard work, which for us as a commission is to tackle a set of specific actions over the next two and a half years.

‘We’re playing our part, but we need the region as a whole to step up and get behind the delivery of the plan.’

The Climate Action Plan has been developed with the input of more than 500 people and will be presented at the Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit, which has been co-organised with the commission.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, added: ‘The climate emergency is a global crisis but the solutions are local and that’s why the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission’s Action Plan is so vital.

‘Many of the measures being called for in this plan are mirrored in the West Yorkshire Climate and Environment Plan which was launched last month and sets out how we will deliver a net-zero carbon region by 2038 at the latest. Both plans are clear – we need urgent and collaborative action now. We cannot afford to delay.’