Our latest updates | January 2026
Here at Manchester Climate Ready we are supporting our city to play its full part to reduce its climate impacts and respond to the effects of the climate crisis that are already being felt.
Here’s some of our key updates on this work from the last few months:
Setting the right strategy and targets
The Plan
We’re responsible for ensuring Manchester maintains a science-based approach to tackling climate change and produce the high level strategy for how, as a city, we can achieve those targets.
In October last year, we published the latest iteration of this strategy, Manchester Climate Ready: The Plan 2025-2030, which set’s out how we’ll tackle both the causes and impacts of climate change over the next five years.
The Plan 2025-2030 was co-created with residents, businesses, universities and community groups across the city, bringing together our shared ambitions and the practical steps we all need to take to achieve them.
A few weeks ago, as part of our ongoing work to accelerate action around The Plan, we held a detailed session with 17 residents in Manchester to help them better get to know The Plan and become ambassadors for how Manchester’s communities and individuals can play their full part.
Attendees included members of the Citizen’s Panel: a group of residents who were consulted during the early development of The Plan 2025-2030, members of the In Our Nature Steering Group: residents who help to influence and shape our community climate action programme, In Our Nature, and In Our Nature’s Community Champions: individuals who are facilitating community climate action where they live.
Tracking progress
Emissions reporting
We’re also responsible for producing emissions reports for the city to show how Manchester is progressing towards it’s climate goals and inform future targets and strategies.
Manchester’s latest direct and indirect emissions reports were made available towards the end of last year and Manchester’s latest aviation emissions report has just been published.
Here’s a quick summary of what the latest available data* is showing us:
Direct emissions: whilst our analysis of the data shows that these are falling, they are not doing so rapidly enough. The data suggests that Manchester’s direct emissions fell by 20% between 2018 and 2023 where they should have fallen by 49% to stay within our budget for that time period.
Indirect emissions: our reporting shows that these emissions are rising in Manchester, increasing by 13% between 2021 and 2022.
Aviation emissions: reporting shows that these emissions have increased by 9% in 2024.
*There is a two-year time lag for when direct emissions data becomes available - the most current available data is for 2023, a three-year time lag for when indirect emissions data becomes available - the most current data is from 2022, and a 1-year time lag for aviation emissions data - the most current available data is from 2024.
The data is clear, as a city, we need to increase the pace and scale of the action we are taking. The Plan 2025-2030 outlines a clear pathway for every part of the city to support Manchester on its journey to becoming zero carbon and climate resilient by 2038 at the latest.
CDP A List City 2025
As part of transparently tracking our progress we publicly disclose climate information to CDP on behalf of the city each year.
Earlier this month we were delighted to announce that we achieved the CDP Cities A list for the fourth consecutive year - the highest score a city can recieve.
This sustained result helps us gain global recognition and demonstrates our commitment to climate leadership and transparent, data informed action to build resilience, manage climate impacts, and create a better future for all.
Taking action
As part of our commitment to facilitate climate action in Manchester and champion leadership by sharing insights and gaining knowledge from other cities, we recently worked with UKRI and counterparts in Italy to build relationships that could lead to Horizon Europe funding - watch this space!
In Our Nature
Manchester’s hugely successful In Our Nature 2022-2025 programme, led by us, was completed last year.
The programme achieved so much for Manchester and it’s residents over the last three years, some highlights include: supporting 87 community-led climate projects across the city, saving a total of 67 tonnes of carbon, and sharing over 200 practical tips to inspire further action.
We know that there is still so much more that we can be doing to support Manchester’s residents to improve their lives whilst reducing their own carbon footprints. These actions all add up to make a big difference for our city and we’re currently exploring how we can continue and expand the amazing work of In Our Nature.
For the latest updates, visit the In Our Nature website, follow @InOurNatureMCR on Instagram and sign up to the In Our Nature newsletter.
Partnership networking - Delivering The Plan
November last year saw members of the Manchester Climate Ready Partnership, wider stakeholders and community representatives come together as part of a networking event focussed on delivering The Plan 2022-2025.
The day included panel discussions, guest speakers from Stockholm and the identification of more than 70 climate commitments by our delegates. Read more here.
Built Environment Group
Our homes and buildings pose one of the biggest climate challenges for our city.
The Built Environment Group, supported by Civic, Deloitte and SimpsonHaugh, is a network for professionals working in Manchester’s built environment sector.
Since the launch of the group a few months ago, four events have been held to highlight best practise, facilitate networking opportunities and share valuable insights and approaches to help accelerate our journey towards zero carbon.
TRANSIT
In collaboration with universities, industry, and policymakers from across seven other European cities, we helped to bridge the skills gap between academia and industry in the renewable sector.
Over the last three-years, the TRANSIT programme, which was succesfully completed last year, has delivered measurable, long-lasting impact including:
Engagement in 52 countries
Over 4,600 participants directly engaged in training activities
Nine free training modules on the TRANSIT platform
Nine international internships
Learning integrated into course syllabus across seven leading universities across Europe
24 Universities, 32 companies and over 1,800 school children engaged in international competitions
90,000 people reached through communications
23 scientific publications
38 conference papers
Stories from across Manchester Climate Ready
Read about how our members are taking positive steps towards a zero carbon, climate resilient future.