Manchester was at the heart of the industrial revolution. Now it could take the lead in the next energy revolution. While national energy policy flounders, towns and local authorities can do an enormous amount to achieve the emissions reductions we so urgently need.

The city of Edinburgh is set to become a world-leader in the fight against climate change - a study commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council, Greenpeace and WWF Scotland, has found that if the city's energy generation was 'decentralised', the city could slash carbon emissions, putting it on track to reach the government's 2050 CO2 reduction targets.