Manchester receives top score for climate leadership and action for fourth consecutive year
Manchester has made the prestigious CDP Cities A list for yet another year, maintaining our position as a city that is demonstrating a globally recognised commitment to climate leadership and transparent, data informed action to build resilience, manage climate impacts, and create a better future.
Manchester’s CDP scores:
2025 - A
2024 - A
2023 - A
2022 - A
2021 - B
2020 - C
2019 - C
What is the CDP Cities A list?
CDP is a global non-profit that operates the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system.
The CDP Cities A List, published each year, recognises cities across the world that are demonstrating leadership by publicly disclosing environmental data and committing to ambitious steps to manage climate risks and reduce emissions.
Manchester Climate Ready submits information to CDP on behalf of the city, helping to maintain transparency for Manchester’s plans, actions, impacts, and progress.
What does a city need to do to achieve A list status?
To achieve an A score, a city must meet a series of robust leadership criteria. This includes publicly disclosing environmental data through the CDP-ICLEI Track platform, maintaining a comprehensive city-wide emissions inventory, and publishing a credible climate action plan. Cities must also complete a full climate risk and vulnerability assessment and set a clear climate adaptation goal that outlines how they will address current and future climate hazards.
Manchester Climate Ready supports Manchester to meet these requirements, holding responsibility for publishing:
Manchester’s emissions reports - covering Manchester’s direct, indirect and aviation emissions
Manchester Climate Ready: The Plan - Manchester’s climate change strategy, setting out how, as a city, we’ll tackle both the causes and impacts of climate change
Manchester Climate Ready: The Plan 2025-2030 is supported by a detailed climate risk assessment and evidence base, available here and also outlines our city’s climate adaptation goal:
Our city is resilient to the increasing impacts of climate change
And adaptation objectives:
Minimise the impacts of climate change on the wellbeing of communities
Increase the resilience of new and existing infrastructure and buildings to current and future climate change
Maximise economic benefit of climate resilience investments while minimising disruption costs and ensure decision-making and action on climate risk is co-ordinated.
How many other cities made the A list in 2025?
A total of 738 cities were scored in 2025, with 120 cities receiving an A, positioning Manchester amongst other cities like Stockholm, London, Sydney and New York.
Head to the CDP website for a full list.
We’ve achieved a top score, what now?
CDP recognises that Manchester is a leading city when it comes to climate leadership, setting robust plans, targets and tracking.
We know the direction we need to take and what we need to do to achieve it. Everyone has a part to play.
Manchester Climate Ready: The Plan 2025-2030 sets out detailed actions for the whole city to take over the next five years to help us achieve our city’s vision of becoming zero carbon and climate resilient by 2038 at the latest.