Report of the Deputy Chief Executive

This report provides the Committee and Executive with an update on the recent work undertaken by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research which recommends the establishment of a carbon budget for Manchester. Adopting this carbon budget would mean committing the city to a target of becoming zero carbon by 2038 rather the existing 2050 target. The Manchester Climate Change Board have developed an outline proposal setting out how all partners and residents in the city might play their full part in achieving this ambition and this is included as an appendix to this report. 

This is an Executive report. Members are invited to comment prior to submission to Executive.

The Committee considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive that provided Members with an update on the recent work undertaken by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research which recommended the establishment of a carbon budget for Manchester. Adopting this carbon budget would mean committing the city to a target of becoming zero carbon by 2038 rather the existing 2050 target. The report detailed that the Manchester Climate Change Board had developed an outline proposal setting out how all partners and residents in the city might play their full part in achieving this ambition and this was provided with the report. 

The Committee had been invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 14 November 2018.

The Programme Director Manchester Climate Change Agency referred to the main points and themes within the report which included: -

·         Information demonstrating the impact of global warming and the local response to this;

·         Information on the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research at the University of Manchester and its recommendations that the city adopt a carbon budget and emit only a maximum of 15 million tonnes CO₂ for the period 2018-2100; commit to a 13% year-on-year reduction in citywide CO₂ emissions from 2018 to achieve this carbon budget; and for the city to be zero carbon by 2038;

·         The role of the Council in both leadership and influencing partners across the city; and

·         Anticipated timescale for work.

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

·         Support for the roll out of Carbon Literacy Training to schools and registered provider residents;

·         More detail was required regarding the plans and timescales to deliver this programme;

·         Aviation emissions and Manchester Airport needed to be addressed within the climate change action plan;

·         The impact on health and the wider determinants of health needed to be addressed such as fuel poverty and what options were available for retrofitting homes so they were energy efficient; and

·         How could the Council use its existing policies, such as planning to influence climate change and mitigate against extreme weather conditions.

The Programme Director Manchester Climate Change Agency informed the Committee that Manchester would be one of a small number of cities across the world to commit to becoming a zero carbon city in line with the Paris Agreement. He stated that the health and wellbeing benefits to citizens of this activity were also understood noting that significant savings could be realised to the health economy through, for example better insulation of homes. He also referred to the economic opportunities that this presented to the city which were significant as green technology businesses could be attracted into the city.

In response to the comments regarding how this ambitious programme would be delivered he advised that this report presented a platform for the development of a more detailed draft plan that would be reported to the Committee in February 2019, with the target of launching the full plan in April 2020. He said the report in February 2019 would detail the various activities and work streams identified and the partners identified to deliver this plan and begin to address the questions that Members had.

The Programme Director Manchester Climate Change Agency further commented that he welcomed the proposals circulated by the resident from Gorton who had attended the meeting that called for closer working with young people, schools and school’s governors to achieve the ambitions described within the report. 

Decisions

The Committee endorsed the recommendations contained within the report that the Executive:

•      Adopt the Tyndall Centre’s proposed targets and definition of zero carbon on behalf of the city.

•      Commit to developing a draft action plan by March 2019 and a final detailed plan by March 2020 setting out how the city will ensure that it stays within the proposed carbon budget.

•      To recognise that by taking urgent action to become a zero carbon city, starting in 2018, we will achieve more benefits for Manchester’s residents and businesses up to 2025 and beyond.

•      Work with partners to ensure that Manchester accelerates its efforts to encourage all residents, businesses and other stakeholders to take action on climate change, starting in 2018.