Manchester Climate Action: What Can You Do?

GETTING STARTED
1. Commit to zero carbon and taking urgent action now:Set science based targets and commit to becoming zero carbon by 2038. To sign our Commitment to act and see which organisations in Manchester have already signed, take a look at Manchester Climate Change Agency – Commitment to Act2. Measure and report your CO2Where does your CO2 come from? The following websites will help you understand where the majority of your emissions are generated.- Individual (WWF)
- Organisation (Carbon Disclosure Project)
- The Carbon Literacy project will help get you started.
- Organisations: Looking for help with staff training and education, take a look at the Carbon Trust’s resources on employee awareness.
- We have our own dedicated resource site for School and College Children on Hydrogen Education at where all resources have been developed with teachers for all to use.
TAKING ACTION
4. FoodChanging your diet can have a huge impact on your carbon footprint. Research from the University of Oxford has suggested that cutting meat and dairy from your diet can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from your food by up to 73%. Eating more plant-based food and choosing fewer meat and dairy options is crucial for tackling climate change. Other aspects of our food choices and procurement are often overlooked when it comes to climate change – consider food that has been produced locally, opting for foods that are in season and reducing food waste are all vital.- Individuals: Can find out more about your sustainable food options at Feeding Greater Manchester.
- Organisations: Encourage more plant-based food options in office canteens, reduce food waste, buy locally produced food and purchase from businesses that support local food markets.
- Individuals: Transport for Greater Manchester -Travel Planner
- Organisation: Transport for Greater Manchester
- If you are an organisation interested in getting a review of your fleet emissions visit Energy Saving Trust
- Individuals: Use the train for domestic or close-by international trips, consider holiday options within the UK rather than flying abroad.
- Organisations: Unnecessary business flights need to stop, instead use video and teleconferencing. Take a look at the Tyndall Travel Strategy to help make your travel decisions.
- To repair or learn how to make sustainable clothes visit Stitched Up.
- To repair and reuse old electronics visit Restart.
- For what can be recycled in Manchester visit Recycle for Greater Manchester.
- Organisations: Reach out to your suppliers and customers and ask them to reduce their carbon footprints, including it in procurement documents and contracts wherever possible. To get support with using resources more efficiently, take a look at WRAP.
- To get advice on how to finance energy saving measures in your home visit Home Energy Loan Plan.
- Switching to a green supplier is easy to do online and most importantly it shouldn’t cost you any extra money (in fact, it could be cheaper!).
- To switch over to green energy visit https://bigcleanswitch.org/gm/.
- For help on how you and your community can make radical reductions in home carbon emissions have a look at: Carbon Co-op and Red Co-op.
- Organisation: looking for practical advice on how to become energy efficient and cut down carbon for your business sector, take a look at the Carbon Trust’s sector specific guides.
- Within homes, reducing the amount of energy you use can massively reduce your carbon footprint. Find out more at Business Green.
- You could get involved by looking at how to manage your garden in an environmentally efficient way, or by encouraging biodiversity to local green spaces.
- My wild city project is helping do just that: My Wild City
- Choose quick showers over baths, turn the tap off whilst brushing your teeth, re-use water where possible – and get creative – such as using bath water to water plants.
- To find out more Visit: United Utilities – Save Water
- Developers: sign up to the Green Building Council’s Net Zero commitment and get advice on how to act: UK GBC
INSPIRING AND INFLUENCING OTHERS
13. Where you put your moneyChoosing who you bank with can have an impact on your carbon footprint. Read up on which banks have good environmental credentials. This also applies to any savings you may have. Check where your pension is invested, some schemes are currently invested in fossil fuels, including the Greater Manchester Pension Fund.- Get organisations to stop investing in fossil fuels:
Fossil Free Greater Manchester - Ethical savings and investments can be a great way of investing money whilst also benefiting the environment. Organisations such as Greater Manchester Community Renewables , install community-owned renewable energy supplies. To find out more visit: Greater Manchester Community Renewables
- Individuals: Share your knowledge and experience with your friends, family, classmates and your community. And also be open to learning from others.
- Organisations: Reach out to your suppliers and customers and ask them to reduce their carbon footprints, including it in procurement documents and contracts wherever possible. You are a key player in making change happen!
ASK FOR HELP
15. Ask politicians and decision-makers for helpChange will need to come from the top as well as the bottom.Write to your local and national politician where you have a proposal that will help ensure Manchester meets its climate change targets. Describe what is currently preventing you from taking action to become zero carbon and how your proposal will help tackle it. Be creative, include examples of best practice from other cities, set out the wider benefits to the city of your new proposal, and describe what you will do to help implement the proposal if it’s adopted. ‘Dear politician, if you do X, I’ll do Y…’ can help create a powerful argument for our politicians to act.Write to ThemPlease use this draft guidance document developed by Manchester Climate Change Agency based on the 15 actions that organisations can download and use to help develop their plans. http://www.manchesterclimate.com/15-actions
The Challenge of Clean Growth and Clean Cities

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