Report of the Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency

This report provides a summary of Manchester’s Emissions Report, which is due to be published by Manchester Climate Change Agency in November. It covers the city’s direct, energy-related emissions in 2021, plus an estimate for 2022, and is based on the latest data released by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Committee considered the report of Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency that provided a summary of Manchester’s Emissions Report, which was due to be published by Manchester Climate Change Agency in November. It covered the city’s direct, energy-related emissions in 2021, plus an estimate for 2022, and was based on the latest data released by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         The Emissions Report enabled Manchester to track its progress against the carbon reduction targets, carbon budget and zero carbon date of 2038 that were set out in the city’s Climate Change Framework (2020-25), and its 2022 Update;

·         The report showed that, in 2021, Manchester had the second lowest per capita emissions among Greater Manchester authorities, with a figure of 3.4t CO2 per person. This was 14% lower than the Greater Manchester average of 4.0t CO2 per person and more than 20% below the national average of 4.5t CO2 per person. This was explained by a mixture of urban density, which had led to more efficient living, and the high levels of deprivation. Those with least, emit least. High levels of carbon emissions are overwhelmingly emitted by the wealthiest in society; and

·         Over the five-year period from 2018 to 2022, Manchester emitted 9.54 million tonnes of CO2 (m tCO2), against a total carbon budget of 15m tCO2, allocated to last until 2038 and beyond (until 2100). This meant that 63% of the city’s total 30- year carbon budget had been used in its first five years.

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

·         Describing the data provided as alarming and disappointing;

·         Noting that the report called for ‘urgent action at pace and scale to ensure Manchester stays within its carbon budget’ and asked what this would look like;

·         Was there now a need to publicise those organisations and sectors that were large emitters of carbon but had not engaged with the Partnership and/or failed to develop an action plan to reduce their emissions;

·         Would any funding be released to Manchester from the revised plans for HS2 to help fast track greener transport schemes;

·         The Manchester Climate Change Framework 2020-25, and its 2022 Update provided a list of 175 actions, were these being delivered upon; and

·         Would the Trailblazer Devolution arrangements provide an opportunity to support the scale of work to reduce carbon emissions across the city.

The Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency commented on the question raised regarding the scale of action required and referred to Local Area Energy Planning as an example of this. Members noted that the Committee would be receiving a report at their December meeting on the topic of a Power Purchase Agreement to decarbonise the energy supply. In regard to a ‘carrot or stick approach’, she said that all levers of influence should be utilised to engage on the issue of carbon emissions and mitigation actions.

The Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency directed the Members to the report that was considered at the meeting of 25 May 2023 that discussed the approach to the actions in the Updated Framework. (See section 4 of the report ‘Manchester Climate Change Framework 2022 Update – Progress Report’ considered 25 May 2023).

The Executive Member for Environment and Transport emphasised the need for a just transition in relation to climate change and commented that the Council continued to use all available levers and spheres of influence to address climate change and made reference to the Planning report that was to be considered later on the agenda as one example of this. She stated that the Trailblazer Devolution arrangements would support the work to address carbon emissions as it would be used to address a number of areas of activity, including housing retrofit works. She stated that it needed to be recognised that inflationary pressures reduced the funding available in real terms and funding to deliver the scale of work required remained a significant challenge.

The Chair concluded this item by reiterating that it was everyone’s responsibility to take immediate actions to reduce carbon emissions. She further recognised and thanked the Partnership and the Agency for their continued hard work on behalf of the city.

Decision

To note the report.