“How could it be our responsibility?” The equity of Local Authority climate action in England
Creators: name: Garvey, Alice
name: Büchs, Milena
name: Norman, Jonathan B.
name: Barrett, John
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Ecology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Cancer

description: The majority of English Local Authorities (LAs) have set targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner, despite having no formal responsibilities to do so. However, it is questionable whether LAs are able to deliver these plans and targets whilst they are subject to significant operational pressures. This analysis applies the international “equity” framework of Common But Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities to the case of English LAs. The research evaluates responses from 28 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from across levels of government, different sectors, and regions of England. We evaluate the drivers of inequalities in capabilities to implement climate action between LAs, and how these inequalities could be reduced through a number of governance interventions. Though the introduction of a statutory responsibility is frequently discussed in the literature, its perceived viability and equity have not been empirically assessed by stakeholders. We therefore evaluate stakeholder perspectives on whether this would be a fair mechanism for allocating responsibility to the local scale. We find that economic, social and political aspects of capability are interdependent, and that current governance arrangements tend to reinforce patterns of inequality in capability. We offer a series of policy recommendations to improve equity in burden-sharing between LAs, finding that funding reform and a well-designed and well-resourced statutory responsibility could be both effective and fair. <b>Policy highlights:</b>The governance of local climate action in England reinforces existing inequalities in economic, social and political capability between Local Authorities (LAs).Though councils are currently taking action voluntarily, further support is required to ensure councils can equitably meet their net zero ambitions.A statutory responsibility would improve equity in burden-sharing for mitigation between councils, provided it was well-designed and resourced.A statutory responsibility could introduce a reporting component that would provide an evidence base to target greater support to councils that need it.Equity-based funding systems are proposed as a means of respecting the variable capabilities of different LAs. The governance of local climate action in England reinforces existing inequalities in economic, social and political capability between Local Authorities (LAs). Though councils are currently taking action voluntarily, further support is required to ensure councils can equitably meet their net zero ambitions. A statutory responsibility would improve equity in burden-sharing for mitigation between councils, provided it was well-designed and resourced. A statutory responsibility could introduce a reporting component that would provide an evidence base to target greater support to councils that need it. Equity-based funding systems are proposed as a means of respecting the variable capabilities of different LAs.