Coventry – a net-zero leader in Britain?

The UK continues to fall down climate change rankings year on year, dropping a total of nine places from 11 to 20 between 2023 and 2024. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rolled back several pieces of climate legislation and instead approved projects such as the construction of a new coal mine in Cumbria to boost domestic coal production. The backtracking on climate policy has affected the UK’s credibility as a previous COP-hosting nation and fails to be in line with the government’s aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68% to stay below the proposed 1.5°C global warming target.

The UK as a whole may not be on target, however, when zooming in we can notice one city in particular that exceeds expectations. Coventry has demonstrated its ability to excel in climate rankings, achieving a climate index rating of 91.52 out of 100. This is higher than those of described ‘climate friendly’ UK cities such as Cambridge and Belfast. Councillor Jim O’Boyle (Labour) states: “I’m very proud that Coventry is well on its way to being a net-zero city in the very near future.”

The ability the Council had to revamp climate policy was evident

So how has Coventry soared to the top of the climate rankings? And what is the proposed plan for the future? Coventry, a city located in the West Midlands with a population of 345,000, is a climate superpower showing extraordinary results subject to its climate strategy proposed in 2009. The projected target was to save 7,121 tonnes of carbon over the subsequent years. Coventry City Council’s carbon dioxide emissions were at the highest point they had ever been, reaching values of over 28,000 tonnes. 2009 was an imperative year for Coventry’s climate strategy, not only in its establishment but also in the breadth of projects it aimed to cover. This included the ‘School for Future project’ which entailed the projected investment of £330 million in reconstructing secondary school learning facilities to tailor them to modern standards, favouring sustainability with majority glass walls, increased ventilation, and other provisions.

Other projects included solar panel implementation and lighting upgrades for offices. 2013 saw the implementation of ‘Heatline’, a waste-to-energy facility network that was projected to save 650 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. This no doubt helped emissions decrease by 5000 tonnes from 2012. The amalgamation of Coventry’s climate policy reform has led to in-council emissions in 2019 peaking at just over 10,000 tonnes, over two times lower than that of 2009.

Overall citywide emissions steadily declined to 1.25 kilotons in 2019 down from 2.1 kilotons in 2005

Furthermore, overall citywide emissions steadily declined to 1.25 kilotons in 2019 down from 2.1 kilotons in 2005. The ability the Council had to revamp climate policy was evident, with results exceeding the carbon footprint deadline by six years. Coventry City Council winning an Energy Management Award in 2023 for their work in making the city library more carbon efficient proves their efforts are not being overlooked. Work such as draught-proofing windows, upgrading to solar PV lighting, and installing a new battery storage system was recognised by the Energy Matter Association who are the convenors of the award.

The urgency Coventry City Council has shown to establish a clear climate plan is testament to its success in reducing carbon emissions

However, they have not stopped there. The Council and the Climate Change Board recruited Professor Andy Gouldson to assess the climate plan and develop a net-zero target. He is a well- established environmental economist who has created climate plans for sustainably front running cities in the UK such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Belfast, Swansea, and Cambridge. The urgency Coventry City Council has shown to establish a clear climate plan is testament to its success in reducing carbon emissions. Working with people such as Professor Gouldson will ensure Coventry thrives in the future and becomes a role model for cities across the UK. It is already a leader, being declared the fourth-most-prepared UK city to meet the 2030 zero-emissions plan.

From here on, the priority for the Council should be to seek joint venture partners for investment, which can be used for larger-scale green projects, as well as to maintain the current ones already in place.