Manchester City Council is the local authority for the city of Manchester, responsible for delivering essential public services, community safety initiatives and place-based improvement across the city. Working closely with partner organisations, the Council leads programmes designed to make Manchester a safer, more inclusive place for everyone.
Their core values are people, pride and place, making Manchester a place where people choose to live, and where companies want to invest.
Carbon Creative was commissioned by Manchester City Council to develop the visual identity and communications materials for the Zero Carbon Cities project, an EU-funded URBACT network led by Manchester and six other European cities. We created a distinctive logo and cohesive visual identity that complied with URBACT and EU branding guidelines, including the required EU flag and URBACT logo.
Our work included designing adaptable digital and print assets – such as templates, posters, and formats for websites, social media, and banners – while ensuring the design reflected the project’s zero carbon principles through sustainable and recyclable collateral.
The visual identity was designed to represent the initial seven-city network while allowing for future expansion within URBACT. We worked closely with Manchester City Council and the Manchester Climate Change Agency to align messaging with the city’s zero carbon goals and stakeholder engagement.
The designs targeted a broad audience, including European city networks, local governments, third sector organisations, academia, businesses, and the public. We also created visuals for the project’s Twitter feed and integration with the Manchester City Council website.
We created custom illustrations to clearly and engagingly communicate complex climate and sustainability concepts. Used across digital and print materials – including presentations and social media – these visuals helped explain carbon budgeting and urban transition strategies. The style was designed to be clear, approachable, and adaptable for diverse audiences from policymakers to the public.
This work played a key role in enhancing recognition of the Zero Carbon Cities network, facilitating knowledge exchange, and supporting the goal of enabling cities across Europe to adopt science-based carbon budgeting and transition strategies aligned with the Paris Agreement.
The effectiveness of the visual identity and communications assets was measured by increased stakeholder engagement and social media reach, helping position Zero Carbon Cities as a leading voice in urban climate action.
