Report of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership and Agency

This report provides the key contents of the 2022 Update to the Manchester Climate Change Framework (2020–2025).

The Committee considered the report of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership and Agency that described  the key contents of the 2022 Update to the Manchester Climate Change Framework (2020–2025).

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an introduction and background, noting that The Manchester Climate Change Framework (2020-25) was the city's high-level strategy for tackling climate change;

·         Manchester’s Climate Change Framework 2020-25 (the Framework) sets a science-based target for the city to reach zero carbon emissions by 2038 and sets a total carbon budget for our direct emissions, noting that the first milestone on this pathway was for the city to reduce its direct emissions by 50% by 2025;

·         The Framework was being updated to ensure it remained responsive to a changing city and evolving local and national policy, to improving data and modelling, plus to the increasing need for urgent action to tackle the climate emergency;

·         The update would include an overview of research to move the city forwards on climate adaptation and resilience; and Health and Wellbeing;

·         Information in relation to direct and indirect emissions;

·         Information on the approach to the proposed engagement with stakeholders; and

·         Next steps, noting that comments and feedback would be collated from this Committee, Manchester Climate Change Partnership members and wider city stakeholders, including residents and business and feed into the final publication, due for release in September.

To accompany the report the Committee also received a presentation that summarised the key themes of the report.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         The Committee welcomed the report and accompanying presentation, noting the content was clear and concise;

·         The importance of the communications strategy to residents on the issue of climate change, particularly the use of appropriate language and terminology;

·         What was being done to engage those private sector businesses who were not currently signed up to the Partnership;

·         Had any consideration been given to enforcement activity;

·         What lessons had been learnt to date;

·         What could be done to influence the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels;

·         Was there a Green Work and Skills strategy;

·         Had consideration been given to develop an action plan to accompany the Update to the Manchester Climate Change Framework (2020–2025); and

·         The report did not address the issues of food sustainability or biodiversity;

The Chair, Manchester Climate Change Partnership described the importance of partnership working to deliver the changes required to address climate change and keep the city with the agreed carbon budget. He stated that in Manchester there were many good practices and examples of businesses actively enacting strategies to reduce their carbon emissions, particularly in the construction industry. He stated that these examples of good practice could influence other businesses.

The Head of City Policy informed the Committee that a significant amount of work had been delivered around the issue of green skills and training and this was regularly reported to the Economy Scrutiny Committee, adding that an update report on this topic was scheduled to be considered at their September meeting.

The Chair, Manchester Climate Change Partnership stated that many lessons had been learnt over previous years, and he made particular reference to the ineffective national domestic retrofitting scheme. He advised that following this, a Greater Manchester initiative was being developed on this important issue, making reference to the Your Home Better scheme and the work done to engage directly with the supply chain. The Committee noted that a report on this subject was scheduled for consideration at the September meeting. With regard to the issue of enforcement he made reference to the work that was being undertaken across Manchester to work with landlords in the private rented sector to improve property standards.

The Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency stated that the need for immediate action to address the climate crisis was acutely understood, she further commented on the scale of the issue and called for a national and global systematic change to address carbon emissions. With regard to wider engagement with the private sector she stated that Manchester, and Greater Manchester had a strong track record in supporting and developing green businesses, particularly in regard to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). 

The Chair, Manchester Climate Change Partnership advised that businesses were recognising the threat to their business that climate change represented, and this increased awareness across different sectors was accelerating change, he further commented that this increased realisation amongst shareholders would also support the argument and act as a lever to influence the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels, recognising that the Committee had continued to call for this.

The Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency stated that the issue of meaningful communications with residents on the issue of climate change was understood and advised that whilst the strategy document was written in a particular ‘high level’ style, the language used in all communications would be appropriate and accessible. She described that a bespoke communications strategy, addressing a range of issues would be devised and delivered to accompany the launch of the updated framework, and this would also include a questionnaire to capture feedback. 

The Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency commented on the challenges of reporting outcomes and progress due the time lags in the availability of the range of data sets and metrics used to report against. She advised that a comprehensive annual report was produced and would continue to be submitted to the Committee for consideration. She commented that the Partnership comprised of different sectors from across the city to ensure a range of voices were captured.  

The Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency stated that the Manchester Food Board were represented on the Partnership and the updated Framework would include consideration of food and biodiversity.

The Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer commented that the city had a stated and explicit ambition to address climate change, adding that it was one of the first cities to establish a carbon budget. She advised that the Partnership was the lead for the city on this issue. She further added that the refreshed Manchester City Council Climate Change Action Plan would be aligned to the refreshed Manchester Climate Change Framework.

The Deputy Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods spoke in support of the report and the importance of addressing climate change.

The Executive Member for Environment and Transport welcomed the comments from the Committee and recognised the points raised regarding the need for appropriate language to be used in all communications on the issue of climate change. She advised that regular communications would be provided to Members that contained useful links and sign posting that could be shared with interested residents and groups in their respective wards. She reiterated that it was everyone’s responsibility to adopt behaviours to address climate change. She recognised the comments made by Members on the importance of active travel and improved public transport, noting the importance of the need to address climate change was implicit across all Council decision making considerations.

Decision

To note the report.