Five-Year Environment Plan

We face major environmental challenges that threaten the health and prosperity of our region. Greater Manchester is taking action with the Five-Year Environment Plan, launched in March 2019 during the second Greater Manchester Green Summit.

The plan sets out our long-term environmental vision – to be carbon neutral by 2038 – and the urgent actions we all need to take in the next five years to help achieve this.

It is the result of a 12-month consultation and collaboration with all parts of the Greater Manchester family.

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Green Summit

Greater Manchester has held two green summits, each designed to put our city-region on the path to becoming one of the greenest places in Europe. The most recent summit took place on 25 March 2019 and was used to launch Greater Manchester's Five-Year Environment Plan. You can view videos and presentations from the event by following the Green Summit link below.

Recycle for Greater Manchester

Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) inspires and encourages residents of Greater Manchester to manage their waste responsibly, helping people to see the value of waste and the real benefits that can be achieved by wasting less and recycling right.

R4GM works in partnership with councils in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford.

IGNITION

IGNITION is a ground-breaking project that aims to develop innovative financing solutions for investment in Greater Manchester’s natural environment. This investment will help to build the city-region’s ability to adapt to the increasingly extreme impacts of climate change.

Plastic-Free Greater Manchester

The elimination of avoidable single-use plastics across Greater Manchester is a key priority in the Five-Year Environment Plan. We need everyone to take action including residents, businesses, local authorities, key partners, and our government. A number of sector-specific campaigns are available to offer relevant support and information on reducing single-use plastics.

Natural Capital

Natural capital is a collection of the world's “environmental assets” that provide benefits to people, such as land, forests, water, soil, air, minerals and oceans. Natural capital identifies and places a financial value upon these assets. Greater Manchester is the first city-region in the UK to develop a Natural Capital Investment Plan designed to encourage investments in natural capital that delivers financial and social returns. 

Waste and Resources

Waste and Resources is responsible for the management and disposal of municipal waste from Greater Manchester. This was formerly known as the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority. 

Clean air

Greater Manchester is developing a Clean Air Plan to tackle harmful and illegally high levels of roadside air pollution across the city-region.

Waste and minerals plan

The Waste Plan was adopted by each of the 10 Greater Manchester authorities and came into force on 1 April 2012. It sets out a waste planning strategy up to 2027 that enables the adequate provision of waste management facilities in appropriate locations for municipal, commercial and industrial, construction and demolition, and hazardous waste.  

The Minerals Plan was adopted by each of the 10 Greater Manchester authorities and came into force on 26 April 2013. It sets out the minerals planning strategy to 2027 and identifies:

  • The locations where mineral extraction may take place
  • The safeguarding of sensitive environmental features and of mineral resources with potential for future extraction
  • All aspects of environmental amenity and resource protection including the sustainable transportation of minerals
Plan for Homes, Jobs and the Environment

Greater Manchester’s Plan for Homes, Jobs, and the Environment (the spatial framework) has been put together by GMCA, which comprises the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the leaders of Greater Manchester's 10 local councils.

This plan is about providing the right homes, in the right places, for people across our city-region. It’s about creating jobs and improving infrastructure to ensure the future prosperity of Greater Manchester.

Domestic and Non Domestic Energy Efficiency

Information on the latest priorities, programmes and projects on domestic and non-domestic energy efficiency in Greater Manchester, including the Warm Homes Fund, and potential funding available for making improvements (e.g. the approach to Energy Company Obligation funding in Greater Manchester).

Big Green Switch

Save money by switching to 100% renewable electricity. We are working in partnership with Big Clean Switch to reduce Greater Manchester’s carbon emissions.

Contact

Find out more about the Greater Manchester Environment Team and how businesses, universities and the public sector are working together on carbon reduction and low-carbon growth at:

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Environment