Agenda item

- presentation by Paul Woodcock, Director of Planning and Regeneration

Paul Woocock, Director of Planning and Regeneration, gave the following powerpoint presentation:-

 

Overview

-        NI186 per capita reduction in CO₂ emissions in the Local Authority area

-        Location action

-        Sub-regional working:

-     Climate Change Leadership Programme

-     Engaging the Third Sector

-     Carbon Calculator

-     Activity in schools

 

What is NI186?

-        Percentage reduction of the per capita CO₂ emissions in the Local Authority area

-        Annual amount of end user CO₂ emissions across an agreed set of sectors:-

-     Housing

-     Road transport

-     Business

 

Wider Linkages

-        NI167 Congestion – average journey time per mile during the morning peak

-        NI185 CO₂ reduction from local authority operations

-        NI187 Tackling fuel poverty - % of people receiving income based benefits NI194 Air quality – percentage reduction in NOx and primary PM

-        NI198 Children travelling to school – mode of transport usually used

-        Environment and Climate Change Strategy (Draft)

 

NI186 Reduction in CO₂ Emissions Calculation (DECC 09)

-        Total CO₂ emissions per capita

Rotherham

2005        8.2

2006        6.9

2007        6.6

 

Current baseline               6.6

Reduction from 2005      1.54

Percentage change          -18.88% (U.K. -2.3%)

 

NI186 Reduction in CO₂ Emissions 2005-2007

-        ‘5th in U.K. and leading the region?’

2006 (6.9)

2007 (6.6)

 

The Local Picture

-        Domestic

-     2005              648

-     2006              644

-     2007              613

-        Roads

-     2005              366

-     2006              353

-     2007              358

-        Industry and Commercial

-     2005              1,049

-     2006              760

-     2007              706

 

Querying the DECC dataset

-        In 2005

DECC’s methodology of the treatment of large energy users changed between 2005 and 2006-07.  When looking at NUTS4 locations, Rotherham’s gas consumption figure does not exclude a power station or a large industrial consumer

However, in 2006 and 2007

Rotherham’s gas consumption figure excludes the gas consumption of one large industrial consumer

 

This change was mainly due to a large industrial user being included in the 2005 figure and not included in 2006 onwards

 

Actions split into 3 groups:

-        Purely national actions but still influencing community emissions

-        National actions but can be improved in performance with influence by local authorities

-        Purely local actions implemented by local authorities or other organisations

 

Local Action

-        Although data reported nationally, a local evidence base was required for both NI186 and CAA

-        4 key areas:

o             Reducing domestic emissions

o             Reducing transport emissions

o             Reducing non-domestic emissions

o             Reducing emissions across the community

 

Example Activities

-        Insulating entire housing stock

-        Lifestyle changes of households

-        Efficient heating in residential buildings

-        Lights and appliances in residential buildings

-        Increasing travel by public transport

-        Building energy efficiency and management in non-residential buildings

-        All industry: energy and resource efficiency

-        Biomass heating for all types of buildings

-        On-shore wind generation

 

South Yorkshire Climate Change Network Aims

To assist South Yorkshire in becoming 1 of the best performing sub-regions in the country in respect of climate change by:

-        Working together to meet the requirements of the Nis

-        Providing a focus for co-ordinated dialogue and decision making

-        Ensuring South Yorkshire contributes effectively to regional and national strategy and action planning

-        Collecting and disseminating key information and best practice

-        Working together to raise awareness and gain commitment within the 4 Councils and the wider community

 

South Yorkshire Climate Change Leadership Programme

-        Series of sub-regional workshops aimed at key decision makers

-        Council operations – 25^th January

-        Adaptation – tbc March 2010

-        Community emissions – tbc June 2010

-        Specific event for Members

 

Engaging the Third Sector

-        6 month project

-        Develop a toolkit which includes hard copy/web-based guidelines on:

-     improving resource/energy efficiency

-     reduce/reuse/recycling waste

-     sustainable transport

-     sustainable procurement

-     domestic housing improvements

-     adaptation

-        Signposting to available help and information within the VCFS

-        Identification and communication of best practice from the VCFS

-        Training workshops as required

-        Champions network

 

South Yorkshire Schools Climate Change Project

-        Project website

-        Display

-        Eco-Schools data search

-        Database of specialist support and contacts

 

Future Items?

-        Fuel poverty/energy efficiency in the home

-        Local attitudes and behaviours to climate change

-        Recycling issues

-        Green business

 

Discussion ensued on the presentation with the following issues raised/highlighted;-

 

-        Migrating pollution was a problem particularly in terms of transport.  Motorways were not included in National Indicators.  The Government was starting to recognise that there were certain issues that local authorities had difficulty in addressing

-        The Climate Change Network had been established to enable working together

-        There were some good example of projects in the town

-        Although the national data for 2007 stated that Rotherham was the 5^th best in the country, the 2007 figure did not include a large business whose emissions had been measured previously. Once the anomaly stated was taken out,  Rotherham’s performance was comparable to a large number of authorities

-        There were now national targets as well as the Authority’s own.  Performance was also measured through the CAA

-        The Council’s Sustainable Development Officers Group were developing a Climate Change Strategy including cross-cutting Council targets

-        To take account of those towns that had power stations, large plants, airport etc. the Government had decided to look at end user and not producer targets

-        Difficulties experienced by some schools in their efforts to recycle

-        It was felt that the reduction in emissions in 2006/07 was possibly due to a shift from traditional industries to more office type environs

-        There was currently a planning application being considered for the installation of a weir at Aldwarke.  Private industries were looking at how they could generate energy from other sources

 

The Chair thanked Paul and Emma for their presentation.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the presentation be noted.

 

(2)  That a half day Scrutiny Review take place on Climate Change and include Air Quality Management Areas.

 

(3) That a report on Air Quality Management Areas be submitted to a future meeting of the panel.

 

(4)  That the issue of recycling in schools be referred to the Regeneration and Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panels for consideration.