📫Letter 1 — To Cllr Mohammed Rafique (with reply)

Opening a year-long public conversation on climate action

Date: 13 October 2025
Recipient: Cllr Mohammed Rafique, Executive Member for Climate, Energy and Environment, Leeds City Council

I’m writing to open what I hope will be a year-long public conversation about climate action, beginning in Leeds.

Over the next twelve months, I plan to write one letter each day to people in positions of influence: councillors, MPs, business leaders and public figures, to reflect on how we can act meaningfully on the climate crisis at every level. Each exchange will be published online to help spark open, fact-based dialogue rather than private correspondence.

I’m starting locally, as an active member of Zero Carbon Headingley and a supporter of the West Yorkshire Climate Commission and Imagine Leeds, because change begins where we live. But my concern, and the reason for this project, is that since COVID we seem to have lost our collective sense of urgency. The pandemic and its economic aftershocks diverted attention, and the national conversation has drifted toward short-term populist debates while our remaining carbon budget for 1.5 °C is all but gone.

This coming year will be critical: not only for emissions trajectories, but also for the geopolitical direction the world takes. So my question to you is this:

In your role as Executive Member for Climate, Energy and Environment, what are your immediate priorities to ensure Leeds genuinely accelerates decarbonisation, and how can engaged residents like me best contribute?

I’d greatly value your reflections and, if possible, a short reply that I can share alongside this letter to open the first of many civic conversations over the coming year.

With thanks and respect,

— Vivien

Headingley / Hyde Park resident

📨 Reply from Cllr Rafique

Received Friday, October 17th, 2025 at 11:30 

Thank you for your email and the work that you are doing as an active member of Zero Carbon Headingley.

We recognise the importance of the climate emergency, having declared this as a council in 2019, and continue to work towards becoming the UK’s first net-zero city.

During the last six years, we are pleased to have worked with communities to create more efficient homes, lowering energy bills which help people out of fuel poverty.

 As a city, Leeds has been at the forefront of decarbonisation with over £50m from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme invested in improving public buildings and strengthening climate resilience. To date, 75 buildings have benefitted from this with many benefiting from off gas heating and solar panels. Pudsey leisure centre is the first leisure centre in the city to be totally powered by electricity.

 Over £70m of investment has allowed Leeds PIPES to provide homes, businesses, and public buildings with heat and hot water that is affordable, reliable, and low carbon. In 2024/25, nearly 6,500 tonnes of carbon were saved, with more connections being made this year.

 In collaboration with Leeds Habitat Company, we are providing opportunity for developers to purchase Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units on our land. This will impact positively on local biodiversity and wildlife with the early stage of this work focusing on

improvements at Rothwell Country Park, Skelton Lake, Killingbeck Fields and Otley Chevin Forest Park.

 Recently the Leeds Ambitions have been refreshed to reflect what the people of Leeds want the council to focus on as part of our Team Leeds approach with ‘Resilient: Sustainable City’ one of these four ambitions. More information on this ambition can be found here.

 Our commitment is for Leeds to be the UK’s first net zero and nature positive city, rapidly reducing carbon emissions and restoring nature, supporting people and businesses to make increasingly sustainable choices that improve their standard of living and ensure the city continues to thrive while addressing the changing climate.

 However, we know that this cannot be achieved by the council alone. Therefore, we will be working in partnership with communities, businesses and other city services, to adapt to the changing climate, reduce carbon emissions and improve our green spaces for people in the city.

 Support from residents and communities is always welcome, as everything we do at the council has the people of Leeds at the heart. We always enjoy seeing examples of best practice throughout the city and sharing positive engagement in relation to addressing the changing climate.

 With the support of our partnerships, including Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, Leeds Climate Commission, Climate Action Leeds and the likes of Zero Carbon Headingley we are positive that the drive to address climate change will continue to thrive and create a difference in the city.

 It would be great to hear more about the work Zero Carbon Headingley and we would like to invite you to a future Open Forum slot at a Climate Emergency Advisory Committee meeting to present. If you would be interested in this opportunity, please email Climate.Emergency@leeds.gov.uk for more information.

 Kind regards

 Councillor Mohammed Rafique

Executive Member for Climate, Energy, Environment and Green Space

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If you’d like to respond, comment below.

Tomorrow’s letter will be addressed to another Leeds City Councillor, Tim Goodall, continuing the dialogue on local climate action.