Three major English cities are set to develop tailored action plans to slash their CO2 emissions under a new scheme, Minister for Climate Change Joan Ruddock announced today.

Under the Low Carbon Cities Programme, the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust will work with Bristol, Leeds and Manchester to develop individual city-wide action plans to achieve low carbon economies.

New measures and initiatives will be introduced and could include renewable energy and trigeneration (creating power, heat and cooling from a single source) along with energy saving measures such as insulation and promoting cycling to work. Key public service bodies, businesses and community leaders in each of the cities will contribute to the strategy and its implementation.

The £250,000 of funding from Defra will also benefit the other members of the Core Cities Group - Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield - by producing audits of current emissions and identifying cost effective carbon saving opportunities. The programme will establish a city-wide CO2 baseline, show emission totals and provide a detailed breakdown of where emissions come from. The data gathered will allow cities to forecast how changes to certain areas will most effectively cut emissions.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears said:

"Climate change is an issue which impacts on everyone, whether you live in the country or in an urban area, as this summer's floods showed. Everyone must play their part in helping to reduce their impact on the environment and cities have a vital role to play in tackling climate change issues. By working to reduce their carbon emissions, through improvements such as renewable energy, public transport, energy efficiency and waste and water management, cities can make a real difference."

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