Cities and the climate and ecological emergency: The Liverpool City Region Response

In May 2019, Liverpool City Region (LCR) Combined Authority Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram declared a ‘climate emergency’ and affirmed his commitment to undertaking proportionate remediating actions. The Metro Mayor has set his sights on LCR becoming net zero-carbon by 2040; local authorities and anchor institutions from the public, private and third sectors have likewise set net zero-carbon targets by or before 2040. The 2040 target will undoubtedly prove difficult to meet. This paper locates the LCR response within the context of the wider global climate and ecological crisis and national UK environmental policy and reflects upon achievements to date and actions which will need to be taken in future. Clearly, ‘business as usual’ will be insufficient and a new politico-institutional dispensation will be required if the net zero-carbon target is to be reached by 2040. An opportunity to undertake deep structural change exists: the COVID-19 pandemic has opened a a global debate on how best to Build Back Better. But what any new social contract for sustainability and a just transition might look like remains unclear. This paper concludes by venturing some thoughts on what such a contract might mean for the LCR and its civic leaders.