Behaviour change
The Council’s direct CO₂ emissions are only around 2% of the city’s total. But we have a unique role – to lead by example and influence behaviour. We want to engage and equip our staff, elected members and the public. So they have the knowledge and skills to make real change. We'll work with partners in Greater Manchester and Government to influence climate action.
Key aims of engagement and policy change
We’ll influence, lobby and work with partners in Greater Manchester. Such as the Manchester Climate Change Partnership and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. As well as the Government. We'll focus on the funding and investment we need. We must be able to make the changes that will deliver Manchester's climate change aims.
Key achievements from 2020 to 2025
- We're the first council in the UK to achieve ‘gold’ Carbon Literacy status. We've trained over half of the people that work for us and associated bodies (such as MCR Active). And we've trained more than 90% of our senior officers and councillors. Find out more about how we got to gold Carbon Literacy status.
- We’re supporting Manchester Carbon Literate City. It's bringing together organisations and people who live, work or study here. With the aim of collectively gaining Carbon Literate Locality status for the city.
- We gained silver status as a Carbon Literate Organisation in 2021. Carbon Literacy training is now mandatory for all staff.
- We make zero carbon a priority in the design of our services.
- We hired three climate change officers. They engage with residents about climate change across the city.
- We created and published community climate change action plans for each of our 32 wards.
- Keep Manchester Tidy won 'Best Council Support for Volunteers' at the Keep Britain Tidy Awards in 2024.
- We allocated £140,000 of Neighbourhood Investment Funding. This helped 68 community climate change projects across the city.
- We delivered our first citywide campaign in 2020. A second campaign – joint with the Manchester Climate Change Partnership – began in 2024.
- We give financial support to the Manchester Climate Change Agency. This helps to unlock funds from other members of the partnership. The agency created the plan for climate change in Manchester. It's called the Manchester Framework and they updated it in 2022.
- We held a Bee Green summit for schools at Connell Co-op College in 2022.
- We have a new work and skills plan in place for Manchester – featuring green skills.