NGOs urge government to change planning rules to help tackle climate change

Article summary

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has published a joint statement from a coalition of planning and environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) calling on the government to address the planning system’s contribution to the wider climate agenda. TCPA notes the need for changing planning rules to stop fossil fuel extraction, with the delivery of climate-friendly developments being more urgent than ever. The joint statement outlines the role that the planning system plays in cutting carbon and preparing for the varied impacts of climate change. Additionally, it highlights the importance of planning for renewable energy and managing fossil fuel extraction, and outlines flaws of the current approach including, among others, a better connection needed between planning decisions and the Climate Change Act 2008 to deliver emission reductions, and the failure of the National Planning Policy Framework to prioritise climate change in accordance with scientific demands.