The All Party Parliamentary Group publish their report, Levelling up through climate action – A once in a lifetime opportunity to make sure no neighbourhood is ‘left behind’

Today the All Party Parliamentary Group for ‘Left behind’ neighbourhoods publish their report ‘Levelling up through climate action, A once in a lifetime opportunity to make sure no neighbourhood is ‘left behind’.

The report uses much of our research into identifying and defining ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods that we have carried out in partnership with Local Trust.

The report is broken down under four main headers:

1. The impact of climate change on communities
2. Perceptions of climate change in ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods
3. Community readiness for adaption, mitigation and net zero
4. Levelling up through climate action

The report’s forward by Co-Chairs, Paul Howell MP and Rt Hon Dame DianaJohnson DBE MP note:

“We know from the survey data and research commissioned for the APPG not only that residents of ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods are increasingly concerned about climate change, and believe it will directly impact their lives in a major way, but also that they are likely to be disproportionately affected by its impacts. We also know from the experience of COVID that ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods are less able to respond to crisis events. As a result they risk being further ‘left behind’ if they are unable to build resilience and to participate in the transition to a net zero future….

The policy recommendations in this short APPG report include supporting a Community Wealth Fund that invests in the vital building blocks of a neighbourhood’s social infrastructure; improving access to green jobs such as next-generation manufacturing; and backing the Local Electricity Bill. These are key tools in our struggle against climate change. By empowering local people in those communities that for too long have been ignored and overlooked, we will meet our shared objective of improving outcomes and ensuring that they do not fall even further behind as we transition to net zero.”

The report concludes with four key findings and recommendations:

• Four in five people in ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods are concerned about climate change. While a sizable majority (68%) believe the transition to net zero will be beneficial for their area, 62% would like to see more local control over the process.
• Communities need long-term and steady investment in local capacity building to thrive in a time of transition. Empowering communities to plan and manage their own neighbourhoods will ensure they have full ownership of – and buy into – the net zero agenda.
• A Community Wealth Fund should be created using £2 billion of dormant assets to invest in vital social infrastructure and to support local leadership on climate adaptation and mitigation projects.
• In addition, a Just Transition Fund targeted specifically to ‘left behind’ areas would facilitate communities taking practical steps towards net zero, including insulating homes and helping small businesses to adapt.

Click here to download and read the report in full.

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