Local Government: Carbon Emissions

(asked on 22nd September 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he will take to ensure that all decisions made by local authorities are compatible with the Government's net zero emissions target.


Answered by
Eddie Hughes Portrait
Eddie Hughes
This question was answered on 18th October 2021

DLUHC is responsible for the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which clearly sets out that the Government expects the planning system to help mitigate and adapt to climate change and implement the move to a decarbonised future. The Framework expects Local Plans to take account of climate change over the longer term; local authorities should adopt proactive strategies to reduce carbon emissions and recognise the objectives and provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008


As part of our current programme of planning reforms we intend to do a fuller review of the NPPF to make sure it contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation as fully as possible


Government departments have provided extensive support for local authorities to act on climate change, including over £1.2 billion in dedicated grants last year, and £12 billion is available to support large scale net zero and levelling up projects through the UK Infrastructure Bank. Not to mention extensive other sources of funding that have the flexibility to be used to support net zero, such as the £4.8 billion Levelling Up fund.

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