Report Says York Will Have The Fastest Growing Economy In The North By GVA

A new economic report has revealed a growing North-South divide between UK cities when it comes to environmental sustainability - with York being outperformed by locations in the South in terms of lower CO2 emissions per person and zero-emission commuting.

According to UK Powerhouse, a report by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economic & Business Research (Curb), cities in the South have the strongest economies in terms of GVA* and dominate in a number of key indicators relating to sustainability. 

The report says York will have the fastest growing economy in the North by GVA* in Q1 2021 - the quarter when the transition period in the UK’s current Withdrawal Agreement is set to have ended.

The report paints a mixed picture for York in terms of its environmental credentials.  

When it comes to carbon dioxide per capita, the latest figure revealed that York had reduced its year on year figure by 5.9% putting it in 24th place with a figure of 4 kt CO2 per person.

There were no locations in the North or the Midlands in the top 10 for the lowest CO2 per person.

York appears 30th for the share of low emission transport** at 5%, however it was an impressive third for its share of population using zero emission transport***.  

The report looked at the areas with the highest number of solar panel installations. York came 10th with 3,100 installations and a 4% share of the population. 

Out of all the English Powerhouse cities in the report, York is ranked 11th for waste recycling. 

Expert Opinion

“In June, the UK has announced its ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the first major economy to do so. The ever-more urgent topic of climate change and sustainability has reached the highest level of government and it’s important that business recognise not only the important role they have to play, but also the opportunities that exist.

“York’s economy is boosted by its young population, with 23% of inhabitants aged between 18 and 29. This is partly due to the university, which attracts young people from across the world.

“It performs well in some indicators of environmental sustainability but poorly in others. If it can improve its share of low-and zero-emission transport, carbon emissions can decrease even further making it possible for York to become one of the most sustainable city in the UK.”
Victoria Brackett - Group Chief Commercial Officer

Methodology Note

All forecasts in this report utilise Cebr’s central scenario. Cebr’s central forecasts are based on the assumption that an amended version of the Brexit withdrawal agreement will form the basis of the future UK – EU relationship. We further assume that a transitional arrangement will be put in place that allows a continuation of the current relationship without any major disruptions until at least 2021. On the immigration policy, we rely on the lower immigration population estimates assuming that a visa system will be implemented for EU nationals, but that the requirements (e.g. the minimum salary, the NHS surcharge payment, the application fees, etc.) would be more relaxed than they currently are for non-EU nationals requiring a visa.

*Gross value added
**Low emission transport include travels by bus/coach, national rail and underground
***Zero emission transport includes travel by walking or cycling