Find out about your local authority’s environmental strategy
Urban planning
An urban planning policy that takes climate issues into account can help preserve biodiversity, decrease local greenhouse gas emissions, and limit urban heat islands and flooding risks. Given their powers over city planning, housing and transport, local and regional councils have a key role to play in these projects.
ADEME resources on urban and land use planning projects.
Council website
Every city and local council publishes documents on urban and land use planning, including planning regulations, upcoming and ongoing development projects, and public consultations in which you can participate.
Research your local council’s Sustainability Statement for more details on its general environmental strategy.
Example:
- London City Hall – click here for Planning and here for the Sustainability Statement
Transport
By providing incentives to use greener forms of transport, optimising public transport networks, encouraging people to walk and cycle, and offering better alternatives for school transport, local and regional councils can actively combat climate change.
Council website
Seek out your council or city hall’s transport strategy to gain insight into what your local authorities are doing to make transport and traffic greener and more accessible. You can also find out more about all available transport options on your council or city hall’s website.
Example:
- London City Hall, click here for Transport and here for the Mayor’s 2018 Transport Strategy
Greenhouse gas emissions reports
Being aware of how much GHG is being emitted and by whom will allow you to identify the most effective mechanisms to make your locality more sustainable.
A local authority can carry out two types of GHG reports:
- Including its assets and its activity: the emissions generated by the services and activities directly run by the local authority, similar to a corporate GHG report.
- Including the whole of its territory: a more holistic approach, usually divided by sector (agriculture, industry, residential housing, services, tourism, transport of passengers and goods, etc.).
In France, it is compulsory for any town or city with over 50,000 inhabitants to carry out a GHG report.
A search engine that allows you to access the GHG reports of French local authorities
Climate or environmental strategy
A climate or environmental strategy is a document that can help you understand what your local authority is doing to preserve the environment in your area and make your locality more sustainable.
Council website
Example:
*- London City Hall – click here for the Climate Action Strategy and here for the 2018 London Environment Strategy
Local decision-making
Public consultations
Your local authority may create spaces for shared governance and public consultation, especially when implementing its climate strategy or launching new urban development projects.
Example:
- London – City Hall consultations and CLC consultations
Borough or neighbourhood councils
Certain cities also have borough or neighbourhood councils, which either serve to make decisions at a more local level or to act as an interface between residents and elected officials.
Example:
- London – click here