Glasgow announces ambition to become thriving city

The leader of Glasgow City Council has signed up to the Thriving Cities Initiative, a two-year pilot project for cities that recognise the need to tackle unsustainable consumption and transition to a sustainable economy to meet the Paris Climate Agreement Goals.

The initiative forms part of the city’s legacy after COP26, helping it to achieve its ambitious climate goal of net zero carbon by 2030 and to become a circular city by 2045.

The Council plans to create a vision and plan for the future of the city with local communities and businesses, arts and culture, sports and academic institutions, with the aim of allowing everyone to thrive without harming others or the planet.

Cllr Susan Aitken, leader of the City Council, said: ‘Our city motto is “Let Glasgow Flourish”. As COP26 hosts, we have a unique opportunity to do just that, to place our citizens front and centre of the transition to Net Zero and deliver a more prosperous, healthier and greener city.

‘Becoming a Thriving City adds real purpose and momentum to these ambitions, helping ensure Glasgow’s existing polices and actions to improve the lives and well-being of Glaswegians are delivered within planetary boundaries. As we continue to address our long-term social challenges and the cycles which perpetuate them, overshooting those boundaries will be the detriment of our progress elsewhere.

‘This transition to Net Zero will require will big changes. Glasgow’s last big transition following the demise of our heavy industries was neither fair nor just. This time we’ll get it right. And the real practical knowledge, experience and expertise becoming a Thriving City brings to our city partnerships delivering climate and social justice will be invaluable in the decade ahead. We look forward to working together.’

Mark Watts, executive director of C40 Cities, a network of nearly 100 city mayors working to deliver urgent climate action, added: ‘We have less than 10 years to achieve 1.5 degrees. The cities that aim for thriving within planetary boundaries, are the cities that recognise the need for total systems change by 2030.

‘This means rethinking the systems and structures that drive inequity and climate change, to allow all people to have a good life, without pushing the planet out of balance. Thriving cities take an empathic and empowering approach to reimagine urban lifestyles, focussing on what the people of the city collectively value, co-creating actions with the people and local businesses who want to lead the change.’

In related news, a new £27.5m UK Urban Climate Action Programme has been launched to help developing cities across Africa, Asia and Latin America tackle the climate emergency.

Photo supplied by Glasgow City Council