Blackpool – an illuminating journey towards net zero

It has taken a lot of time and effort to foster these trusting relationships, but having people to talk through project issues with, and being able to share, ask questions, make mistakes and say what is working and what isn’t, is so valuable. I’ve learnt from our cohort that it can be a lonely role being in climate and net zero when you feel like you are always asking people for favours, you are a small team but trying to drive a huge challenge that impacts everybody.

Why Blackpool?

Blackpool are being funded thought the Net Zero Living programme and were the hosts for our November quarterly event. It was an amazing opportunity to see the regeneration that is happening across the town and hear about their net zero ambitions. For instance, one element of the impressive economic development strategy is to attract high quality data centres to the town – developing skills and jobs for the people of Blackpool but also harnessing the heat generated from these facilities to deliver affordable and reliable heating to the town. Surely a win-win-win?

It was also great to reflect on Blackpool’s heritage and how that can be harnessed and used to build its greener future on rather than forgetting and redesigning, which can be very tempting!

I remember childhood trips to Blackpool with a degree of fondness – memories of a lot of rain and a chilly wind! But it is an iconic town, and the recently opened Showtown museum really helped me to understand the richness of Blackpool’s history, how critical it has been to comedy, dance and innovation…..and hopefully net zero in the future.

Blackpool has always been innovative, willing to try new things. It has always had huge ambitions and been at the forefront of changing trends, which bodes well for a successful transition to net zero.

Here are a few things I never knew that illustrate this.

Blackpool had the first electric arc lighting at scale in the country, which was a year before the lightbulb was patented by Edison. This was the first incarnation of the famous Blackpool illuminations – bringing crowds of fascinated sightseers in to witness the ‘artificial sunshine’ along Blackpool promenade.

Walt Disney was so impressed with Blackpool’s illuminations that he gave permission for some of his characters and designs to be used between the 50s and 70s.

Blackpool has had electric trams since 1885 and they remain a key part of the future transport strategy, with Blackpool Transport aiming to move its buses to electric, starting early in 2025. I particularly love the fact that the new trams still have conductors, in keeping with over 100 years of Blackpool tradition.

So what does this tell us?

Blackpool has a unique identity (as all places do) and I love the fact that the town and the local authority is trying to build on this and embed this identity into its future development.

Nostalgia is great, but we have to move with the times – although that doesn’t mean starting all over again. For example, the new, more efficient, electric trams in Blackpool run along the same lines and routes as the old ones – we can build on our foundations.

The sea walls and defences serve as a reminder of the climate challenges that we are facing, and our coastal towns and cities are invariably going to be at the front line. Blackpool has sensitively designed sea defences to not only dissipate waves, but also create an amphitheatre view of the beaches, which are another jewel in Blackpool’s crown. We can protect each other and our heritage by driving forwards the transition to net zero.

People who work in this space are passionate, knowledgeable, and natural innovators. But they don’t have all the answers – no one has ever achieved net zero before. We are constantly breaking new ground, and through our relationships we can learn more quickly about what works and what doesn’t. So, talk to each other, find out more, demand more of each other – net zero isn’t a nice to have.

In the words of the great Eric Morecambe:

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.