Introduction In 2018, a special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)1 warned that urgent action was needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to 1.5oC, to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. In response, 191 countries formally approved the Paris Agreement2, targeting net zero by 2050, and committing them to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees, and preferably to 1.5oC, compared to pre-industrial levels. In September 2019, Westminster City Council declared a climate emergency, setting a target for the City of Westminster to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 – ten years in advance of the Paris Agreement target. In August 2021, the IPCC’s latest assessment report3 confirmed that without immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in emissions, limiting warming to 1.5°C or even 2°C will be beyond reach. This Climate Emergency Action Plan sets out the scale of the net zero 2040 challenge for Westminster and proposes a framework for collective action to deliver this, structured around three pillars4. Climate impacts and the co-benefits of climate action Westminster’s emissions baseline Meeting net zero 2040 Carbon management hierarchy Challenges and opportunities A net zero vision for Westminster Commitments and guiding principles Enabling climate action Consultation Ongoing engagement and collaboration Commitment and collaboration Evidence-driven approach Priority emissions goals and actions Finance and funding Monitoring and evaluation Accelerating delivery challenges and opportunities challenges and opportunities Contents Contents Foreword and introduction Foreword and introduction 5 | Zero Carbon City 2040 Westminster Climate Emergency Action Plan commitment and Collaboration commitment and Collaboration Glossary Glossary accelerating Delivery accelerating Delivery