A league table of the most climate-friendly areas in England and Wales has placed Salford as the best in the North West, but all local authorities need to do more according to the research.

The research by Friends of the Earth has helped to develop a new online tool which tells users how their local authority is performing compared to others in areas such as renewable energy, transport, housing and waste.

Wiltshire was found to be the best performing local authority overall, followed by the Isle of Wight and Northumberland.

The top performing local authority in the North West was Salford, which came joint 5th with a score of 84 per cent. Carlisle, Warrington, and Cheshire West and Chester came next at joint 14th with an 80 per cent score.

However, Pendle and the Ribble Valley in Lancashire came joint last of the list with a score of just 40 per cent.

‘Even the best need to ramp up’

Craig Bennett, Friends of the Earth chief executive, said: “All local authorities, even the best performing, need to ramp up what they are doing. We know we are facing a climate and ecological emergency that threatens our existence and the natural world. If we want to change things for the better, let's start at home.

“Doing things right now about climate change isn’t just good news for future generations and people most vulnerable to an erratic climate, it’s good for everyone. Creating cleaner and greener places to live means healthier, happier lives. It’s why local authorities need to take the lead by adopting ambitious local climate action plans, and who better to help them than communities.”