Letter 5 — To Councillor Eileen Taylor

Civic leadership and public understanding of the climate emergency

Date: 21 October 2025
Recipient: Cllr Eileen Taylor, Labour — Chapel Allerton Ward, Leeds City Council

Context

We now turn One Letter a Day turns toward civic leadership — asking how figures who represent and unite communities can help keep the climate crisis visible in public life, even as attention drifts elsewhere.

Letter

As a Leeds resident, I am writing to you as a long-serving civic leader as part of One Letter a Day: a year-long public project to rekindle grounded, open conversations about the climate crisis. Each day I write to someone in a position of influence (councillors, MPs, business leaders and academics) to explore how we can turn awareness into meaningful action.

You have served Leeds and the Chapel Allerton community for many years, including as Lord Mayor and in roles supporting environment, housing and community development. That continuity of service gives you a rare vantage point on how civic life shapes the values and priorities of our city. I note, too, your work through the Inner North East Community Committee, which connects you closely with local residents.

Leeds has pledged to reach net zero by 2030, yet the broader climate emergency continues to deepen. The global carbon budget consistent with 1.5 °C of warming is effectively exhausted, while public attention is increasingly drawn toward short-term economic and geopolitical concerns. In this context, civic leaders can play a unique role in making the challenge visible and relatable — not only through policy, but through ceremony, culture and everyday example.

How do you see your role — and that of Leeds’ civic figures — in helping people grasp the immediacy of the climate crisis and in making this shared challenge tangible through everyday community life?

I would greatly value your reflections and, if possible, a short reply that I can share publicly as part of this wider conversation on how Leeds can continue to lead by example in facing the climate emergency.

With thanks and respect,
- Vivien
Headingley / Hyde Park resident

📨 Reply from Cllr Eileen Taylor

No reply has yet been received.

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Comment below or share your thoughts with #OneLetterADay.
Tomorrow’s letter will continue this local conversation with Councillor Jane Dowson, exploring how education and community engagement can help embed climate awareness across generations.
On Sunday, Councillor Lou Cunningham will close the week with reflections on grassroots action and the role of care, equity, and wellbeing in shaping a just transition.