Belfast has been awarded an A rating for its climate action work for the second year in a row.

It is the only city on the island of Ireland to attain the highest rating from the international climate research provider, CDP.

Cities awarded an A grade must have city-wide emissions strategy and prioritise the inclusion of all residents in the transition to a net-zero economy.

Chair of the Climate and City Resilience Committee, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly said: "As a city and as a Council, this is incredibly good news for Belfast. The annual assessment from CDP is designed to encourage cities to advocate and accelerate climate ambitions and is widely recognised as the gold standard of environmental reporting.

-- Advertisement --

"Over the last year, we have made improvements in building resilience, reducing emissions and in turn, helping to create a robust climate resilient city. Governance has been established at both city and Council level in the form of the Climate Commission, Resilience and Sustainability Board and Council’s Climate Programme Board.

"Work is ongoing across the city and within Council, with an emphasis on active travel, the continued success of our One Million Trees initiative which focuses on collaborating with young people, schools and communities and our recent Belfast Tree Strategy. The Belfast Sustainable Food Partnership has also been re-established this year with a focus on tackling food poverty, reducing waste and the promotion of sustainable food.

"It is vital that we continue to build on the momentum we have created and continue towards our goal of a climate resilient city within a generation. The climate emergency needs to be at the heart of all decisions made for both the city of Belfast and our residents."