Our approach
Mitigation and adaptation
To respond to climate change, we need to:
- reduce emissions to prevent the worst effects of climate change – known as mitigation
- prepare for the impacts which are likely to happen – known as adaptation
How we go about mitigating and adapting to climate change is based on understanding our role and influence as a council.
On average, local councils and their activities are directly responsible for around 2% of UK emissions but can influence a further 33% through their place shaping powers, like planning and transport policy. Because of this, we can have the most impact by focusing on the emissions within our direct control and those influenced by our place shaping powers.
We need to prepare our organisation, people, and services to be resilient to impacts like flooding and heatwaves, which are made more likely by climate change. To protect people against these, we can use our place shaping powers.
We also provide leadership by bringing people and organisations together to help tackle mitigation and adaptation challenges which lie outside of our direct control or influence.
Our approach to adapting to and mitigating against climate change falls into 3 categories:
| Taking direct action | Place-shaping powers | Partnerships and engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Activities to reduce the council’s own emissions and improve resilience to climate change | Using the council’s place-shaping powers to lower the city’s emissions and build resilience | Working with other stakeholders and residents to reduce city emissions and prepare for climate change |
A just transition
Our response to climate change needs to be just and fair.
Our actions should address existing inequalities rather than making them worse, like access to:
- public transport
- quality housing
- green spaces
Being fair also means making decisions in an open and transparent way by:
- considering how actions impact people and their livelihoods
- prioritising helping those in our city who are most in need
| Fair process | Fair to workers | Fair prioritisation |
|---|---|---|
| Developing our climate policy in an open, clear, and fair manner, involving Birmingham’s communities. | Supporting our residents and their livelihoods as we transition to a more sustainable society. |
Ensuring the impacts of climate action are fairly distributed and the most vulnerable protected. |
How we are delivering a fair transition
Fair process
- Openly sharing progress via our Route to Net Zero Annual Reports and through the City Observatory.
- Sharing information about progress on the city’s response to climate change in our newsletter and news stories.
- Involving residents in our work and activities as described in the Corporate Vision for Public Participation and Climate Change Engagement Framework.
Fair to workers
- Working with Business Growth West Midlands to help businesses lower their energy use with funding and advice.
- Partnering with colleges to make sure our retrofit and solar projects are linked with training programmes.
- Promoting local green growth opportunities by encouraging local installers to bid for council sustainability projects.
Fair prioritisation
- Using the Climate Risks and Vulnerabilities Assessment to identify which communities are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
- Improving the climate resilience of Birmingham’s most vulnerable wards through the City of Nature programme and Urban Forest Masterplan.
- Prioritising fuel poor and poorly insulated households through our retrofit programme, and those with limited transport options through our Transport Plan.
Page last updated: 14 April 2026
