Climate Emergency

On 1 February 2019 Leicester City Council declared a Climate Emergency. In its declaration, the council committed to developing a new action plan to address the emergency through our own services and projects. We also want to inspire schools to join us and take action too.

Further information

Have your say

The city council is currently consulting on a new version of its Climate Emergency Action Plan. This gives people and organisation in the city an opportunity to have their say on how we tackle the climate emergency. You can take part in this consultation either as a school or individually here: https://consultations.leicester.gov.uk/communications/tackling-the-climate-emergency-in-leicester/

The city council took the decision to declare a Climate Emergency for several reasons:

• We believe that climate change poses a very great threat to the well-being of present and future residents of the city, and to Leicester’s future success and prosperity.
• Cities including our own have been estimated to be responsible for about 70% of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. We believe that the council and the rest of the city has a responsibility to play our part in tackling the challenge. 
• Leicester has a lot to gain from acting decisively now, rather than waiting for other cities and other countries to act first. For example, many of the clean technologies required will make the city a healthier place to live.  By adopting them as soon as we can, we think this could help our economy get a head-start in the new emerging low-carbon economic sectors, and the jobs being created in them.
• This could be the last opportunity to put the world on the right path in a planned and manageable way, rather than in a chaotic way which risks causing negative impacts – particularly on the more vulnerable members of society. We think Leicester should plan for change now, not wait for outside events to force change upon us.  

You can carry out a climate emergency consultation in your classroom:

• Download the instruction guide and PowerPoint presentation below.
• Read the instructions and select which topics you might like to discuss. We recommend one or two.
• Download the relevant activity pack below (background and explanation documents are also provided).
• Carry out the activities.

Resources:

Instruction guide (pdf)
Presentation (ppt)

At home
Background and explanation (pdf)
Activity resource (word)

Travel and transport
Background and explanation (pdf)
Activity resource (word)

Our choice as consumers
Background and explanation (pdf)
Activity resource (word)

Waste
Background and explanation (pdf)
Activity resource (word)

At work
Background and explanation (pdf)
Activity resource (word)

Land use, green space and development
Background and explanation (pdf)
Activity resource (word)