Doncaster Climate Commission publishes positive interim report with ambitious 2030 climate change target

Doncaster’s Commission on the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency set up by Mayor Ros Jones and chaired by Ed Miliband MP has published its first statement on the progress made. A Climate and Biodiversity Emergency was unanimously backed by Full Council in September 2019 and the Commission established to set targets and actions for the whole borough which puts Doncaster as a frontrunner for tackling climate change.

Residents want local authorities to act on climate change and to be part of the solution, new research shows

Research released today funded by PCAN (the Place-Based Climate Action Network) and carried out in partnership with Abundance Investment finds that residents want local authorities to act on climate change and are attracted by the prospect of being part of a collective solution. 

First PCAN Network meeting held

PCAN organised its first virtual networking meeting for climate commissions - and those interested in starting one - on 10 June 2020.

Forty people attended the online event, with representation from across 15 different local authority areas, from established Commissions in Leeds, Belfast and Edinburgh to newer commissions in Lincoln, Surrey, Doncaster and Croydon and areas considering creating climate commissions like York and Kirklees.

MPs and academics to write essays on pathways to Net Zero

Professor Andy Gouldson of PCAN will be giving evidence on place-based climate action to a virtual round table with parliamentarians, civil servants and representatives from industry and the third sector today (Monday 8 June 2020).

Prof Gouldson is one of four academic experts from the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds who are partnering with MPs to put together an essay collection addressing climate change and meeting the UK’s target of net zero emissions by 2050. 

PCAN rushes out newsletter second edition with new opportunities

A second edition of PCAN's May-June 2020 newsletter has been rushed out to promote an exciting new opportunity for researchers.

The new COP26 Fellowships call for proposals opened after we had gone to press with our first issue. This opportunity - for four to six Fellowships, lasting up to and including COP26 (now rescheduled to November 2021) - opened on 1 June and closes on midnight of  28 June, before our next (bimonthly) newsletter is due to go out.

Forward, faster, together: Edinburgh Climate Commission publishes principles for green recovery

The Edinburgh Climate Commission has presented a set of five principles to guide thinking around recovery from coronavirus and accelerate the city's transition to being carbon neutral.

The principles draw on an already strong and consistent body of work from the UK Committee on Climate Change, the OECD, leading academics, C40 Cities, The Energy Transition Commission and other organisations. 

PCAN newsletter published

The first newsletter for the Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN) is published today.

The newsletter, which will be bimonthly, features updates from research by the ESRC-funded PCAN team and our network of place-based climate commissions.

Read the PCAN May 2020 newsletter.

Keep in touch with PCAN news and events by subscribing to our newsletter.

Place-based perspectives on Covid-19 and climate change

Whether it's reclaiming the streets by more walking and cycling, investing in green projects, innovative finance schemes with local authorities or increasing local participation in decision making, place-based climate action is key to the recovery from coronavirus.

These are the messages from a suite of special Commentaries published by PCAN tackling the subject of Covid-19 and climate change.

PCAN Fund reopens for place-based climate action projects and new Fellowships

Round 2 of the popular PCAN Fund is now open for place-based propject proposals that develop ideas and approaches with wider relevance to the delivery of local climate action plans. It takes the form of small grants worth £5,000 – £35,000 each. This round sees the introduction of a new element to the Fund: the PCAN Fellowships, for early career researchers.