At least 160 local authorities have made commitments to beat Government’s 2050 target but face accusations of not consulting voters

By Hayley Dixon

Millions of taxpayers face an accelerated dash to reach net zero with at least 160 councils signing “undemocratic” pledges to beat the Government’s 2050 targets, The Telegraph can disclose.

Local authorities across the country have introduced curbs after joining climate campaigns, including closing streets to traffic, charging vehicles to enter city centres and removing parking spaces. The Telegraph has the story.

Research by Together and Climate Debate UK has now mapped the councils involved for the first time.

“The pledges are not just undemocratic, but antidemocratic,” the authors say. “The pledges’ principles and aims have not been contested in public. And the public have not been asked for their consent.”

Pledges include acting “sooner” than Westminster to reach net zero and committing to more “ambitious” plans of action.

The largest campaign organisation, UK100, pays for “political consultants” to work in the most enthusiastic councils one day a week to help them reach their climate change goals.

One campaign group, UK100, pays for “political consultants” to work in the most enthusiastic councils one day a week to help them reach their climate change goals.

The 110 councils that have signed up to UK100 must promise that: “As local leaders across the UK, we recognise our responsibility to tackle the climate emergency and take bold action towards net zero.

“We will continue to lead the UK’s response to climate change, acting sooner than the Government’s goal by making substantial progress within the next decade to deliver net zero.”

Members note that they will “accelerate the delivery of local climate action” and “do everything within our power and influence” to “rapidly reduce” greenhouse gas emissions.

The majority of councils signing up to UK100 – almost 60 per cent – are either Labour-led or have Labour in power as part of a coalition.

A total of 65 councils have also signed up to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, with a cross over of 15 councils committing to both pledges.

The Global Covenant founding document states that those involved “commit to targets that will eventually be more ambitious than those of their respective national government”.

UK100’s members include Oxford city council, which has pledged to be net zero by 2040, a whole decade before the government target.

The authority has already introduced zero emission zones in which petrol, diesel and hybrid cars are charged up to £10 a day to use certain roads.

In implementing their zero carbon policies, the council had the help of a “net zero pathfinder”, a political consultant paid for by the UK100 network.

Leicester city council, which has signed up to both pledges, is attempting to become a carbon-neutral city by 2030 and has promised to make changes to increase cycling and walking and reduce reliance on cars.

In praising the work done by the “UK100’s Local Power in Action pathfinder” at the council, Adam Clarke, the deputy mayor, said that the consultant had “influenced effective decision making”.

Despite working in councils, UK100 does not name its funders, saying that they are “various grant giving organisations”. It has previously announced that it has received funding from the philanthropic organisation of billionaire financier Sir Christopher Hohn, who has also funded Extinction Rebellion.

UK100, which describes itself as a membership organisation, says that it does not mandate which specific policies councils should introduce to meet their targets, but they are “supportive” of plans to “decarbonise transport, promote active travel, support public transport and reduce air pollution in neighbourhoods across the country”.

‘Labour councils serving the world’s richest people’

Ben Pile, from Climate Debate, a group calling for discussion on net zero issues, said that the report showed the civil society organisations with the backing of billionaires were “increasingly seeking to influence local authorities’ policy agendas”.

He said: “Air pollution policies and other net zero policies will profoundly affect people’s lives, but there is little evidence of public support or agreement driving local authorities’ green agenda.

Read the full story here .