Leeds City Council has been officially recognised as Green Council of the Year, winning the title at the prestigious Political Purpose Awards.
The accolade was presented by the Nature 2030 campaign, which celebrates organisations driving action on climate change through positive environmental and sustainability initiatives. Sponsored by Keep Britain Tidy, the award honours councils that have shown exceptional leadership in protecting and enhancing the local environment or that have introduced ambitious packages of environmental measures at a local level.
Leeds secured the award in recognition of its ambitious response to declaring a climate emergency in 2019, shaped by a citywide public conversation that set the goal of becoming a net zero carbon city. Judges praised the council’s wide-ranging initiatives and service improvements, all contributing to positive environmental change across the city.
Presenting the award on behalf of the judging panel, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, commended Leeds for its progress in electrifying its vehicle fleet and the carbon-saving impact of the innovative Leeds PIPES energy-from-waste district heating scheme. She also gave particular praise to the city’s dramatic success in reducing landfill waste — from 26% of household waste a decade ago to less than 0.2% today.
The award also highlighted the wide range of measures through which Leeds City Council is embedding environmental improvements into its everyday operations. Nearly a quarter of the council’s vehicle fleet has already been transitioned to electric models — including cutting-edge electric bin wagons capable of recharging from 20% to 80% in just 75 minutes. The council has also secured £2.5 million in developer funding to support new woodlands and wildflower meadows, enhance litter and fly-tipping removal, and install information boards at sites across the city to promote local biodiversity.
In addition, the innovative Leeds PIPES district heating network has been recognised as a major step forward in energy efficiency. The scheme now delivers low-carbon, affordable, and reliable heat and hot water to more than 60 buildings across Leeds, harnessing energy recovered from the city’s Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF).
Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor James Lewis said:
“We are deeply honoured to receive this prestigious recognition of our council’s dedicated work and leadership towards creating a healthier and more sustainable Leeds. Our comprehensive low-carbon initiatives and innovative waste management solutions are creating tangible benefits for all residents, making Leeds a greener, cleaner and healthier place to live for current and future generations.
“We are particularly proud to see the Leeds recognised for achieving a near-zero landfill rate for our city’s household waste, together with the progress made to electrify our fleet and deliver an extensive energy recovery heating network that provides lower carbon heating to buildings across the city.”
Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space Councillor Mohammed Rafique said:
“We are delighted to be named Green Council of the Year, which is a wonderful reflection of the dedicated work being carried out across the council and our partners as well as our residents and businesses in Leeds for supporting our efforts to be as environmentally sustainable as possible.
“The impact of climate change affects us all, so this really is an ongoing ‘Team Leeds’ challenge as we strive to become a net zero carbon city.”
The council has also reduced the carbon footprint of around 250 homes through Home Upgrade Grants, which fund a variety of energy-saving improvements for low-income households. Upgrades have included heat pumps, solar panels, insulation, and low-energy lighting, helping residents cut costs while lowering emissions.
In transport, the East Leeds Orbital Route (ELOR) was praised for embedding sustainability into its design. The new seven-kilometre stretch of road features fully segregated facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders, alongside sustainable drainage systems and the planting of more than 30,000 trees to enhance biodiversity and support new habitats.
Leeds City Council’s waste management service was commended for both its expanded recycling offer and its success in reducing landfill use. The city now runs the second-largest kerbside collection service in the UK, emptying more than 500,000 bins each week from 367,000 households. Thanks to ongoing investment in a free garden waste collection, Leeds also operates the largest garden waste service in the country.
Leeds has already met the government’s Simpler Recycling requirements for dry recycling two years ahead of schedule, supported by a resident-friendly three-bin system. Last year, glass was added to the list of materials accepted in the green recycling bin, alongside paper, card, plastics, plastic films and bags, foil, and metals — further expanding opportunities for residents to recycle.
A progressive approach to waste disposal contracts — including changes to how streams such as large electrical items and offensive waste are processed, has helped Leeds reduce landfill use to just 0.2% of all household waste. Crucially, no food waste from Leeds households is sent to landfill, preventing the release of methane emissions and harmful leachate, and ensuring more sustainable waste management across the city.
