Sustainable city region

Since 2017, a series of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have highlighted the pace of environmental breakdown and the scale of action needed. As a result, The Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSC), the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and GM Councils have declared a Climate Emergency.

The need for GM Moving to contribute to limiting the impacts of climate change has become all the more acute. The GM Moving movement can play a key role in in a way that best promotes both climate justice and social justice, in the here and now and the longer-term. 

Sedentary behaviours are carbon-intensive so our core mission of enabling more people to move more, will support wider GM net-zero ambitions. The movement can also help by:

• Promoting active, sustainable travel and decreasing car dependency.
• Reducing our own carbon emissions e.g. across leisure facilities.
• Advocating for greening and bio-diversity as part of active environments.
• Supporting an inclusive, zero carbon and climate resilient economy.
• Facilitating the cultural, systemic and behavioural changes needed in order for us to respond and adapt to our environmental crisis.

Enabling people to live more sustainable lives, increasing their access to clean air and quality green and blue spaces, will in turn support more active lives, and a healthy, socially just city region where everyone can thrive.

The physical activity industry, like every other industry, has an impact on the environment. Whether it’s ending the use of single use plastic at events, supporting the movement of people and goods by active travel, or more sustainable planning and design of spaces, places and facilities. We all have a contribution to make to tackling climate change.

Sustainability projects in Greater Manchester

In Our Nature Mcr

A Manchester based initiative supporting community-led action on climate change, partners include Manchester Climate Change Agency, amity CIC, Tyndall Centre, Hubbub, Groundwork GM and Manchester City Council.

Find out more here

Our Streets Chorlton

A community-led climate action project focused on local engagement to support active travel, partners include local residents and elected members, WalkRideGM, Open Data Manchester, Groundwork GM, amity CIC and Tyndall Centre.

Find out more here

Groundwork GM projects and stories

Various stories of change in Greater Manchester.

Find out more here

National examples of digital innovation around physical activity and climate change

Human Forest

Planet Mark