DE MONTFORT University has a proud history of informing, supporting and working with local and regional government on climate action – a history that has spanned more than 35 years.
The collaboration stretches back to 1990 when the City of Leicester became the UK’s first Environment City and worked with DMU researchers on climate action.
The work to inform and support local and regional authorities has been stepped up over the years and involves a whole series of initiatives across Leicestershire and beyond.
A history of informing and supporting local government
By the mid-1990s, DMU was informing, supporting and working with the City of Leicester which was not only the UK’s first Environment City but was one of just three European cities selected represented at the pivotal United Nations’ Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992.
DMU was effectively the ‘research arm of the city’ on climate action and sustainability through the newly-formed Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, according to its former director Professor Paul Fleming.
Research was carried out on energy monitoring, ventilation in buildings, solar energy, electric vehicles and air quality monitoring, with volunteers walking around the streets of Leicester carrying a backpack of monitoring equipment.
There was substantial modelling on ventilation and energy use in buildings and future energy scenarios were also modelled in the effort towards a low carbon future.
There were concrete results that can still be seen in the city today. All of Leicester’s secondary schools were rebuilt incorporating university research on ventilation, light, and energy efficiency.
The Building Schools for the Future programme through the early 2000s and beyond not only advised on low carbon scenarios, but worked with pupils and the wider public to ask what they wanted to see in their schools – the result was lots of daylight, decent ventilation, and extensive grounds.
Research is informing and supporting climate policy
The relationship between DMU and local and regional authorities has grown over the years with researchers and academics informing and supporting on climate action and sustainability.
The strengthen of that work was recognised by the United Nations appointing DMU as the global academic hub chair for Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
DMU is now working with universities in Germany, Brazil, and Vietnam on international projects with local and regional applications through its SDG Impact Hub on the Leicester campus.
Policy briefs are being prepared that take the university’s research and turns it into accessible, evidence-based recommendations that inform parliamentary debates, government consultations, international policy development as well as informing and supporting local and regional government.
Work by DMU’s Policy Unit bridges the gap between academic excellence and policy solutions, ensuring research insights reach those who shape our society.
Informing and supporting the City of Leicester
The work with the City of Leicester was stepped up in 2019 with DMU research informing and supporting the local authority to declare a climate emergency.
Work to monitor and measures the risks and give early warning of impending issues saw the establishment of the Leicester Resilience Hub, a joint programme, that saw a series of projects in 2025 to mitigate the effects of climate change.
DMU has also worked with the city on a wide range of climate action projects and supported and informed the Climate Ready Leicester Guide for the 400,000 residents of the city.
This aims to show how residents can make a difference through their choices on housing, transport, heating and green spaces to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Working regionally across all of Leicestershire
DMU was also one of the first organisations to sign a pact aiming to accelerate Leicestershire’s goal to become a net zero county by 2045.
The Climate and Nature Pact mirrors Leicester’s Climate Ready programme and brings together, local councils, businesses, voluntary, community and social enterprises, universities and education sectors, the public sector and the people of Leicestershire to drive local action and work towards a shared set of environmental goals.
The core requirements of the pact are the need to act on climate change; reducing carbon emissions to net zero; reducing the impacts of climate change; halting ecological decline and supporting climate recovery; enabling climate action; and working together to deliver greater action.
The collaboration involves local government regionally in Leicestershire as well as local councils in North West Leicestershire, Charnwood, Hinckley and Bosworth, Blaby and Oadby and Wigston as well as the universities of Leicester and Loughborough.
A partnership to inform and support decision-makers
The pact builds on the work of the Universities Partnership of DMU, Leicester and Loughborough collaborating on tackling climate change.
The institutions launched the GreenerFuture initiative – a commitment to sustainability by focusing on environmental education and practical solutions for sustainable development.
The focus of the project is to decarbonise and breakdown non-technical barriers to deliver net zero. GreenerFuture provides fully funded support for:
- ·Businesses – Helping companies adopt sustainable practices, reduce emissions, and improve energy efficiency.
- Residents and communities – Offering guidance on sustainability efforts at a local level, including energy-saving strategies.
- Policymakers – Supporting local councils and decision-makers in implementing effective climate policies.