Increased empowerment of local government, particularly following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, is set to be critical in the delivery of sustainable cities across the UK, according to Mark Watts, chief executive of C40.

Speaking at the recent Environmental Industries Commission annual conference, Watts urged any UK future government to continue to devolve powers to the regions and create city mayors to boost investment in sustainable development

“The solutions to big problems like climate change are going to be delivered in cities and often by city leaders as much as by national leaders so number pone priority for the UK government is to continue with that devolvement of power'" he said.

"But not just devolving regulatory power but it also needs to be the ability to raise finance to invest in cities.”

Critical decisions to tackle climate change need to be made in the next five years to give 20 years to deliver them, warned Watts.