The Irish city of Belfast was recently listed as one of the leaders in climate action by CDP. It ranked cities worldwide on their environmental action and transparency.
For the first time, Belfast was listed as one of the world’s leading climate-action cities by the charity CDP. Belfast joined huge cities such as Paris, Melbourne and New York on the prestigious global list.
Belfast managed to secure its place amongst the top-ranking cities thanks to several climate-friendly initiatives it has been a part of, such as the One Million Trees Programme, with 40,000 trees being planted in Belfast in its first year.
Another initiative which earned Belfast favour was its Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme and its focus on climate planning on a just transition to ensure that no one will lose out during the move to a net-zero economy. Belfast is one of 19 UK cities included on the list.
How cities are ranked by the CDP – ranked on a various number of factors
The CDP ranked cities on several factors, scoring them from A to D, with the A ranking being the best.
To reach an A ranking, cities must complete many actions, such as having a city-wide emissions inventory and publishing a climate action plan, amongst other things.
Belfast was ranked as one of the leading cities for a number of reasons, including several initiatives.
An impressive result, but more is needed – more work to be done
Senior manager at the not-for-profit charity CDP Laura Parry was proud of what Belfast achieved and said there is still much more room for further improvement.
She said, “We’re obviously really proud that they’ve made it this year, but there will be work for them to do in terms of implementing for climate action, particularly making sure that they stay on track with their ambitious targets.”
She continues by saying they must “make sure that they do really important actions, like including the community in their climate action planning, as time goes on.”
Ms Parry also explained how cities have a huge role to play in tackling climate change when they said, “They account for around 70% of global emissions, and over half of the world’s population live in city.
“So it’s really important that cities play this role, and that’s really the idea of the CDP A-list, that we recognize those cities who are playing that part and champion them around the world.”
Irish city listed as one of the leaders in climate action – a proud moment for Belfast
Lord Mayor of Belfast and councillor Tina Black said the announcement was “fantastic news for Belfast.
“Action on climate is something we must all take responsibility for; it is not up to one organisation or group of individuals – we all have a role to play, and I’m pleased that we are getting recognition for our efforts.
“As a council, we need to harness the momentum from our involvement in COP26 last year and build on the collaborative work that is already underway – including our continued lead participation in the Belfast Climate Commission,” she added.
While Belfast has much to be proud of thanks to its inclusion on the climate-action cities list, it is also accepted that the cities’ work is not over when it comes to doing everything they can as part of the overall global climate action plan.
