Greater Manchester among 123 global cities recognised for climate action

Greater Manchester has been recognised among the top 12% of cities globally for its leadership on environmental action and transparency.

The city-region has been ranked on the 2022 A List of 123 cities around the world by non-profit organisation CDP, a global organisation that companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impact and is seen as the gold standard of environmental reporting.

To achieve an A List rating, cities must demonstrate their climate leadership through concerted and effective action, taking twice as many adaptation and mitigation methods as other cities.

2022 is Greater Manchester’s second year on the ranking with the city-region receiving praise for its science-based carbon neutrality target, and five-year environment plan.

Steve Connor, Green Lead for GMLEP said, 

“Manchester spearheaded the industrial revolution and this accolade from CDP proves that the city-region is now ready to lead the green revolution.

“As an A List City, Greater Manchester is recognised for its ambition, leadership and transparency on climate action. Through collaboration, Greater Manchester has come together to develop creative solutions to the climate crisis and with our history of innovation and entrepreneurship, I’m confident we can scale up these solutions and put them into action to generate impactful results.

“Greater Manchester is now recognised as a leader in climate action, but this is just the beginning. We must acknowledge that there is more to be done if we are to meet our 2038 target and become a net-zero city.”

Rhys Whalley, Acting Managing Director of MIDAS, Manchester’s Inward Investment Agency said,

“Greater Manchester’s 2038 target for carbon neutrality – 12 years ahead of the national target – is a major catalyst for transformation across key areas of the city’s infrastructure. This is creating a thriving environment for businesses and investors to land, grow and succeed in a wide variety of areas across smart energy, building retrofitting, green financing and beyond. Our investment in state-of-the-art facilities and nurturing a talented workforce with the skills required to support this green revolution means that the city region is well placed to continue to serve as a driver of urban-led sustainable change.”

The full CDP A List can be viewed here.