A campaign to champion sustainable growth in North Lanarkshire has been launched ahead of a major global diplomatic conference in Glasgow later this year.

ACT 2020 - Action on Climate Together, will see North Lanarkshire Council partnering with leading energy and services group, ENGIE, to create a roadmap for councils, businesses and communities that aims to outline realistic action to curb climate change locally, driven by a programme of five high-profile events.

The campaign follows the council's declaration of a climate emergency in June last year and ahead of the Conference of Parties (COP26) event in Glasgow, the most important global diplomatic conference on climate change since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016.

The unique programme of events will address key crisis issues around climate change including: the local government as a system leader in the transition to net zero, the role of schools, education and young people in promoting sustainable lifestyles, how communities can activate change through volunteering, managing a transition to a zero carbon economic model, as well as subsequent events focussing on the future of health, housing and technology.

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The series of five high-impact thought-leadership events will engage with businesses, communities, public sector, voluntary organisations and children and young people, with the first event, a climate emergency response seminar for the public sector, taking place on 17 March 2020.

Convener of the Environment and Transportation Committee at North Lanarkshire Council, Councillor Michael McPake, said: "The council declared a climate emergency last year and this has acted as a trigger to take realistic action to curb climate change at a local level.

"We have already drawn up our carbon management plan which outlines how we will reduce carbon emissions in our daily service delivery. Through focussing on energy efficiency projects and changing the way we collect and dispose of waste, the council has reduced its emissions by 19,000 tCO2e since 2015/16. We are continuing on our carbon reduction journey and this is shown in our declaration of a climate emergency.

"Working with our partners at ENGIE, these exciting events aim to mobilise local authorities, businesses, communities and individuals to discuss measures that can affect real action and to make concrete efforts to stop the disastrous consequences of climate change."

ENGIE's Places & Communities Divisional CEO Colin Macpherson said of the programme: "We are very pleased to be partnering with North Lanarkshire Council on this extremely important and valuable programme of events.

"We are very much looking forward to delivering the programme in the run-up to November's high-profile COP26 conference, which will be a great opportunity to connect with those deciding the direction and effectiveness of the climate change debate."

(MH/JG)