Our progress

Greater Manchester organisations will work together to deliver integrated water management solutions, tackling issues such as diffuse pollution from urban and rural sources and flood risk management.

The Good Food partnership is launched to address food poverty, waste, climate change, farming and biodiversity, social justice and, of course, health-related issues like obesity and diabetes.

Campaign puts Greater Manchester at the forefront of taking action to eliminate single-use plastics targeting hospitality businesses and local people, encouraging them to make the shift away from single-use plastics to renewable alternatives.

Launch of a new plan to create a city-region-wide cycling and walking network made up of more than 1,000 miles of routes, including 75 miles of Dutch-style segregated bike lanes. The ‘Beelines’ network will be the largest joined-up system of walking and cycling routes in the UK and has been developed with all 10 Greater Manchester local authorities.

Greater Manchester Community Renewables Limited (GMCR) share offer is launched. A community benefit society, set up and run by volunteers to install community-owned renewable energy across Greater Manchester.

Ambitious plans to make Greater Manchester one of the leading green city-regions in the UK and Europe were approved on 27 July 2018. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, together with local leaders, are aiming to bring Greater Manchester’s date for achieving carbon neutrality forward by at least a decade to 2038.

Companies in Greater Manchester pledge to ramp up their environmental commitments. Companies include Aldi, the Co-op, United Utilities and Manchester Airport Group.

Greater Manchester takes its place on the world stage to declare its commitment to tackling climate change.

The Greater Manchester Low-Emission Strategy, Air Quality Action Plan and Climate Change and Low-Emission Implementation Plan are launched.

Greater Manchester chosen as one of four UK settings to pioneer new ways of working in order to better protect and enhance our natural environment. The ‘Urban Pioneer City Region’ will bolster the region’s green credentials and provide a significant boost to its ambition to become the greenest city region in the UK.

The second Green Summit saw the launch of the 5 Year Environment Plan for Greater Manchester . An ambitious plan setting the action needed to make sure that we make fair contribution to tackling climate change and that we protect and enhance our city region’s natural environment.

This year’s summit saw the launch of The Five Year Environment Plan for Greater Manchester

Homes in Greater Manchester offered an exclusive green energy deal, backed by renewable electricity generated in the North West of England.

Partners across the city-region sign a multi-million pound European contract to develop innovative ways of financing natural solutions to deliver resilience to increasingly extreme climate hazards.

Work begins to deliver the first scheme as part of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network – a plan for the UK’s largest cycling and walking network launched in 2018 by Cycling and Walking Commissioner Chris Boardman.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) formally declares a climate emergency.

Group-buying for solar panels and battery storage launches in Greater Manchester deliver more local renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions

The pilot is one of five initiatives across England supported by DEFRA. Designed to play an important part in developing a new England Peat Strategy (EPS).

GREATER Manchester ranked as one of the top global regions taking action on climate change by an international charity that measures environmental impact.

All Our Trees Greater Manchester Tree and Woodland strategy launches with clear objectives on how to maximise the benefits of our trees and woods in relation to tackling carbon, air pollution and flooding.

Greater Manchester chosen as one of five areas set to receive a share of a £1m fund from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affair to set up a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) pilot.

Energy Systems Catapult and five local authorities in Greater Manchester to pioneer a clean energy project to develop 10 renewable schemes across the city and create a blueprint that can be replicated in other regions across the UK aiming for Net Zero carbon emissions.

A new Energy Innovation Agency (EIA) to be established between three Greater Manchester universities, local government and industry has been announced today with the aim of kick-starting a decade of clean energy innovation to meet the region’s 2038 carbon neutral target.

2020 online summit demonstrates what actions have been taken towards the Five-Year Environment Plan and how we continue to address the climate emergency.

The University of Salford’s cutting-edge Energy House 2.0 allows researchers and technology developers to test energy use in houses built inside two giant weather-controlled chambers. The £16 million facility will be able to create snow, rain, wind and sun via a state-of-the-art heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Greater Manchester’s Local Energy Market project sets out ambitious plans to revolutionise the use and distribution of energy across the Greater Manchester region, supporting a low carbon future with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2038.

Buildings and organisations across the public estate set to benefit from retrofitting measures including Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Police, the Royal Northern College of Music, the National Cycling Centre, and facilities including leisure centres, schools, and offices.

The Community Fund is a joint Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) and SUEZ initiative to support Greater Manchester community and voluntary sector groups to deliver projects that help to reduce household waste in Greater Manchester.

The new task force will outline how home and building improvements can take place on a mass scale, while identifying opportunities to boost new skills, create good jobs, and drive investment in low-carbon industries.

Schools Climate Action Planner released giving teachers and students access to a free, online and easy-to-use action planning tool to help reduce their school’s climate impact through practical steps.

Greater Manchester declares a biodiversity emergency setting out a series of projects and initiatives across the city-region to recover and restore biodiversity, reverse habitat loss and explore what more can be done.

3-year programme commences to accelerate the delivery of up to 85MW of solar power generation with battery storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Greater Manchester.

Plans to deliver a London-style transport system also get underway to transform bus travel in Greater Manchester with single journeys capped at £2 for adults and £1 for children.

GMCA awarded £19.6 million to commence engagement work with residents and potential suppliers of energy efficiency measures and low carbon technology.

The Greater Manchester SCP plan was launched in July 2022 covering 4 key priority areas: Moving to a Circular Economy, Managing Waste Sustainably, Reducing Food Waste, and Moving to Sustainable Lifestyles.

GMCA commit to working in partnership with the not-for-profit organisation City to Sea to expand refill locations across the city-region making single-use plastics a thing of the past.

A new taskforce, dedicated to reducing the environmental impacts of fashion and textile waste in the North West, has been formed by Manchester Metropolitan University and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Greater Manchester is recognized again by CDP as one of 119 cities across the globe that is taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the pressures of a challenging global economic situation.