The government has been urged to take “radical action” to help local planning authorities tackle climate change and reduce emissions generated in the built environment.

Speaking at the Royal Town Planning Institute’s annual conference yesterday, RTPI president Ian Tant said local planning departments were key to devising and implementing policies to rid the country’s buildings and infrastructure of greenhouse gases, as well as making projects carbon neutral.

“It also falls to us to engage our communities so they come with us to accept the necessary changes,” Tant said.