New green index shows Greater Manchester city region ranks bottom for renewable electricity, but is in top three for recycling and public transport

Solar panels

New Green City Regions Index compares the environmental performance of the Greater Manchester city region with the five other city regions electing new metro mayors in May. 

The index, published by the leading environmental organisations Campaign for Better Transport, the National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and Green Alliance, measures the city regions against a range of green indicators, such as air quality and green infrastructure, as well as sustainable housing and transport. 

To achieve their economic goals cities will need to be attractive places to live that are easy to get around, with clean air and high quality greenspace. They will need to be resilient to climate change, with future proofed plans for housing and transport.

Greater Manchester performs better than other city regions on: 

• Recycling: the region ranks second for its recycling. It recycles 42% of its waste, not far below the joint top scoring regions of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and the West of England at 49%.
• Transport: the city region scores well on clean and green transport. It ranks third highest for bus use and joint second best on access to services by public transport or walking. It also has the beginnings of a good electric vehicle infrastructure with five charging points for every 100,000 people. 
• Natural environment: Greater Manchester has the highest percentage (55%) of Local Wildlife Sites in positive conservation management and was also ranked first on the quality of water bodies with only 8% rated ‘poor’ or ‘bad’.

However, it faces a number of green challenges: 

• Renewable energy: Greater Manchester performs the worst in the index, with only 4% of its electricity currently generated from renewable sources, despite an ambitious goal of cutting its carbon emissions by 48% by 2020. 
• Air quality: Like all city regions in the index, Greater Manchester is breaching air quality limits for toxic NO2. It also has the third highest number of deaths attributable to long term exposure to particulate pollution among the six city regions.
• Built heritage: Greater Manchester ranks bottom on the indicator on built heritage, with the highest percentage of grade 1 listed buildings at risk out of the city regions, at 17% (all the other city regions are in single figures).
• Green infrastructure: Greater Manchester is ranked joint worst with Tees Valley for spend on open spaces at only £17 per person per year. It also has the lowest use of open space for health and exercise. 

The new mayor of Greater Manchester will have a range of opportunities to improve the city region’s local environment, using their spatial and transport plans as key tools, and increasing funding for clean and green transport, housing and green spaces through investment funds and consolidated transport budgets.

Harry Bowell, National Trust Director of the North said: “The new mayor for Greater Manchester has a fantastic opportunity to show leadership on creating a healthier, more beautiful and resilient city region.

"Whilst Greater Manchester is making progress in reducing emissions, recycling, and use of public transport, the Green City Regions Index helps us to see where more progress could be made.

"The city is famed for its outstanding built heritage, so it is sad to see the amount of Heritage at Risk. By prioritising improvements to the natural environment, the Mayor can also contribute to better air quality, reduce flooding risk and improve people’s quality of life. We look forward to working with the new Mayor and making the most of these opportunities.”

Paul Miner, planning campaign manager at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said: “Recently proposed plans for Greater Manchester fall short of maximising brownfield potential.

"The new mayor will have a great opportunity and a vital role to play in protecting the city region’s countryside and green infrastructure by prioritising brownfield building in their spatial plan. The plan should aim to create thriving and more sustainable communities on suitable brownfield sites with better links to the public transport, cycling and walking routes that will improve air quality.”

The new Green City Regions Index is the first of a two-part analysis. The second part will be published in a report ‘Greening the City Regions– opportunities for new metro mayors’ and will set out the actions the new metro mayors can take to make their cities greener, cleaner and more resilient.