Five year environment plan
Greater Manchester is taking action on climate change with the with the new Five-Year Environment Plan 2025-2030, launched in December 2024 during the sixth Greater Manchester Green Summit, which takes place annually. 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.
In July 2019, Salford City Council declared a climate emergency; Friends of the Earth named Salford the most sustainable council in the north west; and the Centre for Thriving Places named the council the greenest and most sustainable in England and Wales.
We have organised the Salford's Climate Change work so that it reflects the Five-year Environment Plan.
The Salford plan is set out under the five-year plan themes:
Our Built Environment – homes, building and energy
Our Travel
Our Natural Environment
Our Resources
Culture Change and Engagement
Air Quality
Our Economy
Adaptation
Climate Action Board and subgroups
Salford established a Climate Action Board to bring together stakeholders from across the council, and external organisations, to oversee projects and programmes associated with meeting the city’s carbon neutral target. The council has also established a number of subgroups of the board to do more detailed work on various subject areas, as outlined below.
Salford City Council Climate Action Board
Meets bi-monthly, chaired by Councillor McCusker, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Planning, Transport, Sustainable Development and Regeneration, and including external stakeholders.
Climate Action Board sub-groups
Our Built Environment – this group focuses on:
Renewable energy and its generation
Community energy
Regional energy strategic planning
Local area energy plans – heat networks
Retrofit and decarbonisation of buildings
Retrofit of social and private homes
Energy advice
Retrofit willing to pay offers
Our Natural Environment – this group focuses on:
Improving the quality of nature
Biodiversity net gain (BNG)
Water management
Green and blue spaces
Nature and new development
Community-led action
Communications – this group focuses on:
Carbon Literacy
Greener Salford campaign and messaging encouraging positive engagement and culture/behaviour change and raising awareness of programmes and impacts
Staff engagement
Supporting wider behaviour change
There are a further four themes addressed by other groups:
Our Travel – increasing use of public transport and active travel modes and phasing out fossil fuelled private vehicles replacing with zero emission vehicles.
Our Resources – producing goods and services more sustainably and becoming more responsible consumers. Also, managing our waste as sustainable as possible and reducing unnecessary food waste.
Our Economy – business innovation in green technology. Providing residents and young people with the necessary skills to seek employment in the green sector.
Adaptation – priority risks arising from climate change are better prepared for, managed and reduced.
Reducing emissions from council operations
Salford City Council continues to invest in projects that reduce energy use, cut carbon emissions and save money. Since adopting declaring a climate emergency in 2019 the council has achieved a 17% reduction in carbon emissions across its estate and operations through renewable energy generation, improvements to buildings, streetlighting and fleet.
That’s equivalent to one year’s emissions from over 1,500 cars.
These measures have not only reduced the council's environmental impact but have also generated substantial savings on energy costs, helping to protect public services from rising energy prices.
There are a number of ways we have achieved this saving:
Solar panels on council buildings and solar farm
Salford City Council has invested significantly in solar energy to reduce carbon emissions and generate clean, renewable electricity. To date, 38 solar PV systems have been installed across the council's estate, including leisure centres, community buildings, a solar farm in Little Hulton and the Civic Centre in Swinton.
Together, these installations comprise more than 10,000 solar panels with a combined generating capacity of 5.2MW. They produce around 3,800MWh of renewable electricity each year, enough to power more than 1,400 homes annually. By generating electricity on-site, these systems help reduce energy costs, lower carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable energy across the city.
Improved energy efficient council buildings
Salford City Council is improving the energy efficiency of its buildings through measures such as LED lighting upgrades, heating and insulation improvements, and other energy-saving technologies. The council has also completed the decarbonisation of 14 sites, helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower carbon emissions and create more energy-efficient public buildings for staff and residents.
Green Wheels
Green Wheels is a council programme to encourage staff to play their part in tackling climate change and promoting sustainability, by making sustainable travel choices when travelling to, from and during work including, cycling, car share and electric vehicles.
Street lighting
Salford City Council has made significant progress in improving the energy efficiency of its street lighting network. LED lighting has been rolled out across the city, reducing energy consumption, lowering maintenance costs and cutting carbon emissions.
Today, the council has more than 72,000 lighting and traffic management LED assets. Around 90% of streetlights have now been converted to energy-efficient LED technology, with approximately 26,500 LED units already installed.
Green Spaces
Salford City Council continues to invest in and enhance its network of green and blue spaces, creating new opportunities for residents and visitors to connect with nature, be active and enjoy the outdoors. This includes improvements to parks and open spaces, the expansion of walking and cycling routes, and the delivery of major environmental infrastructure projects across the city.
Since 2024, more than 7,000 trees have been planted across Salford, making significant progress towards the council's target of planting 8,000 trees by 2028. Through partnership working and nature-based solutions, the council is helping to improve biodiversity, increase climate resilience, enhance air quality and create greener, healthier neighbourhoods.
In 2025, Salford secured almost £1 million through the Nature Towns and Cities programme to deliver the Community Greenways project, improving access to nature, enhancing green corridors, supporting biodiversity recovery and helping more residents experience the benefits of high-quality green and blue spaces close to where they live.
The council has also secured development funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to progress plans for the restoration of Buile Hill Park, one of Salford's most significant historic parks. The project will develop proposals to restore and enhance the park's historic landscape, improve accessibility and visitor facilities, protect its heritage and natural environment, and create new opportunities for learning, volunteering and community participation.
Major projects such as the Castle Irwell flood storage basin demonstrate how environmental infrastructure can provide multiple benefits, such as reducing flood risk while creating valuable habitats and recreational spaces. Together, these initiatives are helping to create a greener, healthier and more sustainable city while supporting the wellbeing of communities across Salford.