City of Wolverhampton Council is set to declare a 'climate emergency' as part of a national drive to reduce carbon emissions.

The UK Government has committed to reducing CO2 net emissions 100% by 2050.

The City Council has ambitions to make the authority zero-carbon by 2028.

A motion will be put forward by Councillor John Reynolds, Chair of the Sustainability Advisory Group, to make Wolverhampton a more sustainable city at full council on Tuesday 16 July.

If the 'climate emergency' motion is approved, Wolverhampton will be the first local authority in the Black Country to declare a climate emergency and announce its commitment to tackling climate change.

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at City of Wolverhampton Council said: “We are listening to our communities and especially the concerns of the city’s young people who are relying on us to take action to ensure Wolverhampton is a cleaner, greener city for future generations.

“The impact of climate change is already causing serious damage around the world and as a council, we have a duty to make our city sustainable.

“We are already making progress. Over the past 12 months, we have made major improvements including the installation of LED street lighting, the launch of the refill scheme, electric vehicle charging points at WV Living properties, building carbon neutral schools and the roll out of bio-mass heat networks. However, we are conscious that we can do so much more.

“This important declaration means we will continue to proactively make significant changes and work with our partners to make Wolverhampton zero carbon by 2028.”