Delivering net zero in our towns and cities

Cities represent 70% of global emissions and must play a decisive role in mitigating the climate crisis. At the same time, cities are on the frontline of the climate emergency’s physical impacts, leaving urban communities increasingly vulnerable to the changing climate.

The Net Zero Cities Team at WSP works with clients across the world to provide evidence-based net zero strategies that enable towns, cities and regions to meet their ambitious climate targets and ensure a just transition.

Our service offering brings together decarbonisation pathways, climate resilience plans and climate finance expertise, providing action-oriented support to cities, towns, and regions delivering on their net zero ambitions.

Climate mitigation services

No two cities or regions will take the same approach to decarbonisation. WSP’s net zero cities team works with clients across the world to develop a place-based definition of what net zero means and provide evidence-based net zero, climate and sustainability strategies to enable them to meet their ambitious climate targets (that align with the Paris Agreement objectives through science-based approaches).

As part of this service, we draw on specialist expertise across a range of sectors to identify viable renewable and low carbon technologies that could accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy. Services include:

Technical and feasibility studies
Ambitious sustainability strategies
Spatial energy mapping
Carbon emissions assessments and modelling
Sustainability strategy and actions
Action identification and prioritisation
Reporting, disclosure and monitoring

Climate adaptation services

Adaptation is an increasingly important issues for communities across the globe. With access to a wealth of experience and knowledge from across our global organisation, our team is in a unique position to support cities in adapting to the climate crisis and building local resilience.

Our climate risk and resilience specialists help cities, towns and regions to understand, manage & disclose their physical and transitional climate change risks which will impact everything from infrastructure planning and service delivery to health and inequality. We work with designers and planners for development projects, local authorities, public and private sector organisations to build long-term climate resilience in our communities. Services include:

Climate adaptation risk assessment and action
Strategy, management, research
Reporting, disclosure, monitoring

Systems change services

Our economists, net zero, planning and sustainable place experts help cities and regions enable system-level change. We address economic, financial, employment and social inclusion risks and opportunities of climate action, including emerging climate finance routes.

This includes support to understand the implications of climate action plans to ensure a just and inclusive transition to a global green economy that reflects regional strengths and doesn’t leave vulnerable communities behind. Services include:

Economy and finance

Financial, policy and economic impact assessment for climate action plans
Economic, employment and climate finance research and analysis

Just transition

Equitable transition and inclusion strategies
Sustainable development risk and co-benefit analysis

Governance and innovation

Mainstream climate action into city governance
Innovation and partnership support

How can local authorities manage traffic-caused air pollution?

Air pollution is a key source of emissions and a growing threat to public health. This article explores what local authorities can do to improve local air quality.

Solar PV – An Essential Technology for Net Zero

Net Zero targets for cities, local government and regions of the UK all rely on the continuing deployment of solar PV. This article explores the opportunities and feasibility of installing rooftop solar PV.

20-min neighbourhoods: Opportunities and challenges for local authorities

Decentralising cities; what is the 20-minute neighbourhood?

How can cities use Nature-based Solutions to tackle urban flooding?

Global cities, flooding and climate change

Smart Cities and Net Zero

Cities always manage complexity, but global cities now must urgently integrate climate action into almost everything they do.

How should towns and cities approach local area energy plans?

WSP explore the impact of LAEPs in three testbed areas and whether model should be replicated across the UK

Partnerships: What role will community energy play in local climate action plans?

WSP’s Jamie Baxter and Community Energy London’s Syed Ahmed explore public participation and the role of community energy groups in net zero cities.

Finance: How can we mobilise and mainstream climate finance to deliver net zero towns and cities?

WSP, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and University of Oxford consider mobilising and mainstreaming climate finance for net zero cities.

Innovation: Our urban areas must take a systems innovation approach to climate action

WSP and Climate-KIC UK & Ireland examine whole system innovation as part of delivering climate action in our towns and cities.

Governance: Our public realm is the perfect platform to embed net zero governance

WSP and the Place-Based Climate Action Network explore how we can govern sustainable places as part of our net zero transition.

Our experts on net zero in our towns and cities:

Our sustainability and climate change team is the go-to experts on climate change mitigation and adaption design and implementation within towns and cities. We support the delivery of high-quality projects for public and third sector clients, developing strategic partnerships with relevant organisations and producing innovative thought leadership that demonstrates our knowledge and capabilities.

Lewis Barlow

Decarbonisation Head of Profession, Earth and Environment

United Kingdom

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