蜜芽传媒

According to the Leeds Climate Commission, Leeds - like many major British cities - is emitting around four million tonnes of carbon a year with transport and housing the biggest polluters.

Carbon emissions are one of the main greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

So what can cities do to reduce their impact on the environment?

To answer this, the commission was set up four years ago to pool talent and knowledge and engage people from all over the city – not just ‘greenies’.

Chair Andy Gouldson said it was “an attempt to get everyone together, to energise them and to empower them to do things, to share responsibility”.

As part of that, a Citizens’ Jury representing people across the city was set up to find solutions that would work for normal people.

Their recommendations included public ownership of the buses in Leeds, new green funding sources, a city-wide retrofitting programmes for houses, and a stop to the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport.

Historian Joe Williams runs the city's Black History Walks, celebrating the city’s diverse past. He said lessons from history showed that people needed to feel empowered to change.

“To empower themselves, they will get the fastest car and the most polluting car to get them from A to B. That needs to change," he said.

Student Daniel Corner, aged 21, is one of the 21 members of the Citizens' Jury.

Before joining the group, Daniel felt despair about the environment.

“I thought we had doomed ourselves and we got what we deserved,” he said

“But by talking to people I regained hope and I’m a bit more positive, I think there is a way people can come together and make positive progress.”

Daniel said giving people a choice was key.

“You need to give them the option to go on an electric bus if they want, rather than a car. You need to give them the ability to get insulation, if they want it.

“People need to be able to choose what they want to do, so if people want to act, they can act.”

Daniel has also chosen to eat fewer animal products and using less heating in his home.

The Climate Change Committee, which advises the government on emissions targets, says people should be asked to eat 20% less meat and dairy produce by 2030, and 35% less by 2050. This will improve health and save money as well as emissions.