Quantifying Glasgow's Emissions Reductions [Podcast] EP102

In this episode, FAI economists Lewis O’Neill and Jack Williamson explore our latest report from the GEMINOA project, looking at Glasgow’s emissions reductions between 2005 and 2022.

Following Glasgow City Council’s 2019 climate emergency declaration and subsequent 2030 net carbon zero target, this research examines how territorial CO2 emissions are measured and tracked at the local authority level. The discussion reveals that while Glasgow achieved a 46% emissions reduction between 2005-2022, the story is complex. National level policy such as the decarbonisation of the GB electricity grid accounts for almost half of the total reduction, while methodological challenges may mask the impact of local initiatives like public transport decarbonisation. The conversation explores the tensions between local policy actions and measurement frameworks, raising important questions about how we evaluate climate policy effectively.