Manchester Green Party councillors have today pushed Manchester City Council to apply higher standards to new developments to make more new buildings in the city net zero carbon.
At today’s Manchester City Council meeting, Greens put forward a motion urging the council to adopt recommendations made by the Manchester Climate Change Partnership (MCCP) to reduce the carbon footprint of new developments.
The motion, which was amended by Labour and passed by the council, committed it to ‘fully consider’ the recommendations made by the MCCP and incorporate them in the Manchester Local Plan, which guides new developments in Manchester.
Cllr Astrid Johnson, deputy leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council and proposer of the motion, said: “Buildings are responsible for around three-quarters of Manchester’s direct emissions, and yet we have already consumed a significant portion of our carbon budget. Emissions have exceeded expectations since 2018, and if this continues, we’ll use up our entire carbon budget within the next decade.
“The growth of new developments in Manchester brings undeniable benefits – housing, jobs, and regeneration. However, many developments are not meeting stringent sustainability standards, and our existing building stock urgently needs retrofitting. That is why we asked the council to adopt all the MCCP’s recommendations and ensure Manchester leads the way in building a sustainable, resilient, and zero-carbon future.”
The MCCP, supported by the Manchester Climate Change Agency, made policy recommendations to feed into the Manchester Local Plan in their recent Net Zero New Buildings report.
The report’s seven recommendations include adopting a retro-fit first approach to buildings wherever possible, ensuring that new builds are net-zero carbon in how they operate, and creating a local carbon offset fund to help achieve carbon neutrality.
These recommendations aim to help the council take a proactive and comprehensive approach to ensure that new buildings contribute to Manchester’s net-zero goals. The council will now consider bringing them into the Manchester Local Plan before it is discussed again at full council.
Cllr Rob Nunney, Green councillor for Woodhouse Park and seconder of the motion, said: “Manchester faces significant challenges in achieving its target of net-zero carbon by 2038. We must use every lever within our grasp to make up for lost time.
“By adopting the recommendations made by the MCCP, we will be encouraging the kind of growth which is a win-win. We’ll stimulate growth which will also help us achieve our climate goals. We’ll reduce fuel poverty by building warmer homes.
“The Labour government is saying: ‘Get Britain building again’. We say: ‘Get Manchester building sustainably!’ Let’s show the rest of the country what’s possible.”
At today’s meeting, Greens supported motions to tackle crime and fly-tipping in Manchester’s communities, to improve the city’s 17 designated district centres, and take greater action on traffic offences like speeding and illegal e-bike modifications.
Greens also backed a motion opposing the Labour government’s decision to cut the international aid budget to 0.3% of GDP, a motion which Labour amended and backed.
The council leader Bev Craig will now write to the government urging them to restore the UK’s international aid budget to 0.7% of GDP, as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cllr Johnson added: “The decision to slash the UK’s aid budget is not just an economic choice – above all it is a moral failure that will directly result in loss of life. At a time when global crises are deepening, from famine-stricken regions to warzones in Ukraine and Gaza, cutting funding for humanitarian assistance is an act of wilful neglect.
“Investment in global stability is not just an ethical obligation. It prevents greater conflict, displacement, and suffering that will ultimately cost even more to address in the future. Cutting aid now is not just cruel – it is economically shortsighted.”
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Notes to editors:
The Green Party is an opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The leader of the Green group on the council is Cllr Anastasia Wiest. The deputy leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson.
The three Green councillors on the council are Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney. All three represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.
Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, three Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and one independent.
Cllrs Wiest and Johnson can be available for interview upon request.
For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.