Skip to main content

Climate Plan Annual Progress Review published

Category
Centre news
Date

The first progress review of the University of Leeds Climate Plan has been published by the Priestley International Centre for Climate.

A group of experts, including an external advisor, undertook the progress review, informed by a public consultation.

The Climate Plan Annual Progress Review is now available on the Priestley Centre website.  

Members of the Research Partnership Committee drew upon their broad range of expertise, including finance and investment, technology and innovation, behaviour change and just transitions, adaptation and resilience, and institutional decision-making.

The review was requested by Climate Principles Programme Board, which has overall accountability for delivery of the Climate Plan, and will ensure that the Climate Plan delivery stays true to its original aims, remains ambitious and takes advantage of the developments in social and technical solutions.

Pioneering process

The Climate Plan Annual Progress Report, published by the Climate Plan delivery team on 26 October 2022, outlined progress one year into delivery.

The review process began with a two week public consultation coordinated by the Priestley Centre. A total of 20 responses were submitted, spanning several faculties and services of the University and from individuals across a range of career stages, from students, support staff, and academic staff.

In November 2022 the Research Partnership Committee reviewed these responses, along with the Climate Plan Annual Progress Report itself.

Professor Piers Forster, Director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate, who chairs the Research Partnership Committee, said: “With the Climate Plan Research Partnership Committee and public consultation, we are pioneering an alternative to typical corporate emission reduction plans.

“We aim to set an example for the higher education sector, to learn-by-doing and share this learning with the wider world.

“The responses submitted to the public consultation have been invaluable in aiding the work of our review – thank you to all who took the time to respond.”

Comprehensive review

As well as acknowledging the ambition of the Climate Plan, the review praises the commitment of the delivery team.

It also includes specific recommendations for consideration by the Climate Principles Programme Board.

Spanning all areas of the Climate Plan, the review considers communication and engagement, delivering a just transition, resilient net zero transition, sustainable travel, research and innovation, education, net zero city partnerships, and investment.

Opportunities highlighted in the review include developing a more effective communications and engagement strategy and strengthening collaboration opportunities by working with partners to establish ambitious demonstrators as learning opportunities. 

Professor Forster said: “Our review includes opportunities to build on this progress during the next year and hope it supports the delivery team in realising its ambition and is the catalyst for purposeful institution-wide engagement.

“We need to envision the end point of what will be the biggest transformation in our history.”

Download the full report.

The University has published a response to the review.

Read more about the Research Partnership Committee.