Leeds groups given £2.5m National Lottery cash to develop 16 hubs across the city to tackle the climate emergency

The Climate Emergency Community Action Programme has a goal of creating a "zero carbon, socially-just and liveable city by 2030", and the funding will go towards supercharging climate and social justice action across Leeds.

The partnership, which includes Voluntary Action Leeds, Our Future Leeds, Together for Peace and Leeds Tidal, has been granted the cash through The National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.

The money will go towards setting up 16 community hubs "specifically focused on supporting big ideas to tackle the climate emergency in a positive and fair way", according to the Leeds Climate Commission.

The project will also create over 40 local jobs, and around £400,000 of grants to local community groups will be shared to help them take action on climate and social justice.

Paul Chatterton, a professor in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, who has been involved with the bid, said: "We will be creating a network of hubs in communities across Leeds, where local people will be supported to create a climate action plan so they can make their places more sustainable, safer and liveable.

"All these will come together in a city wide assembly where communities and other stakeholders will share learn and network to create a Leeds-wide climate emergency plan.

"There will be about 16 hubs across a diversity of places over the five year programme all supported by experts and professionals in sustainable food, housing, energy, waste and more."

As well as improving the local environment, the project is set to bring wider benefits to the people of Leeds, including employment opportunities and the chance for young people to have their voices heard.

The project will also involve the creation of a Leeds Climate Assembly, where communities will come together to share and celebrate what they've achieved and learned - to ensure that their plans are joined-up and work towards city-wide priorities and goals.

More than £14 million in grants from the National Lottery Community Fund has been awarded to communities across the UK to tackle the climate emergency.

John Rose, Director and environment lead at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “From 25 years of funding environmental projects across the UK, we know that local community action is at the heart of delivering solutions that not only minimise the impact on the environment, but also offer additional benefits that people and communities can reap.

"In the last few months we have been reminded that communities truly understand their places and spaces, and so often play a vital role in responding in a crisis, and we’re confident with people in the lead communities can tackle climate action and responding to the climate emergency."

“Thanks to National Lottery players we’re now bringing these communities together so they can address climate change, learn from each other and have an impact within and beyond their communities.”