Newcastle is set to become one of the country’s first Low Carbon Pioneer Cities as part of the landmark City Deal negotiated by the city’s Labour administration.
The agreement with Government will put Newcastle at the forefront of efforts to develop new ways of cutting carbon emissions while creating jobs, attracting investment and supporting the development of new technologies.
The Low Carbon Pioneer City programme will bring Newcastle together with Government and other partners to explore how smarter infrastructure, greater energy efficiency and new technology can help create a greener and more competitive city.
Labour wants Newcastle’s transition towards a low-carbon economy to deliver practical economic benefits for residents as well as reducing the city’s environmental impact.
The City Deal therefore links Newcastle’s environmental ambitions directly with its plans for economic growth, recognising the opportunities presented by emerging low-carbon industries.
Newcastle has set an ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020. Becoming a Pioneer City will support work already taking place across the city to meet that challenge.
It will also provide opportunities to develop smart-city projects and demonstrate new approaches which could subsequently be adopted elsewhere in the country.
For Newcastle Labour, investing in a greener economy is an opportunity to attract new businesses, develop new skills and create employment while reducing energy use and carbon emissions.
Council Leader Cllr Nick Forbes said: “Newcastle has the ambition to be at the forefront of the transition to a low-carbon economy, and our City Deal gives us another opportunity to turn that ambition into jobs and investment.
“We don’t see economic growth and environmental responsibility as competing priorities. Developing new technologies, improving energy efficiency and making our infrastructure smarter can help us achieve both.
“Becoming a Low Carbon Pioneer City gives Newcastle the opportunity to lead, working with Government, businesses and our universities to develop ideas that can benefit our economy, our environment and our residents.
“Labour wants Newcastle to be a city that doesn’t simply respond to economic change but helps shape it, creating new opportunities and building a greener economy for the future.”