Planning for net zero and nature: A better, greener planning system that empowers local places

Article

What we build, how we build it and where we build it impacts every aspect of our lives: our environment; the economy, and how and where we live and travel to work. In recent years, the planning system has been blamed for the various problems facing land use in England, most particularly the housing crisis.

Planning can address two of the largest sources of emissions – surface transport and buildings – but it needs to be reformed to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Through a series of workshops and interviews, we explored stakeholders’ perspectives on how the planning system could better deliver on net zero and nature, while working better for local communities.

In this report, we set out how the planning system needs to change to deliver net zero and restore nature in England, while also delivering the services people need, including well-connected communities and housing, and supporting the development of renewable energy.

Related items

  1. Train and cars on a motorway with London skyline in background

    Planes, trains and automobiles: How green transport can drive manufacturing growth in the UK

    Transport is essential to our lives. Unfortunately, it is currently also the largest source of UK domestic carbon emissions. 

  2. Regional economies: The role of industrial strategy as a pathway to greener growth

    Regions like the North should have a key role to play in the development of a green industrial strategy.
  3. A mother and child walking in a field with hills in the distance

    Achieving the 2030 child poverty target: The distance left to travel

    On 27 March, the Scottish government will announce whether Scotland’s 2023 child poverty target – no more than 18 per cent of children in poverty – was achieved.