item no 6 - scottish climate change declaration - annual report 2011-1

8/2/2019 Item No 6 - Scottish Climate Change Declaration - Annual Report 2011-1

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Item noReport no

Scottish Climate Change Declaration: Annual Report

2011

Policy and Strategy Committee

27 March 2012

1 Purpose of report

1.1 This report details the Councils proposed submission to COSLA in relation to the2011 annual report for the Scottish Climate Change Declaration.

2 Main report

2.1 All Scottish councils signed the Scottish Climate Change Declaration (SCCD) in2007, requiring an annual report on progress in a number of areas of climatechange policy including mitigation and adaptation.

2.2 COSLA has written to all council Leaders requesting that they submit a response bythe 31 March 2012 for the 2011 reporting period.

2.3 Highlights from the annual report for 2011 include: the approval of SustainableEdinburgh 2020; a continuing decline in the Councils corporate carbon emissionsand in emissions citywide; new initiatives to adapt the Council and the city to achanging climate; the establishment of a Climate Change Strategic Partnership;and the first comprehensive mapping of climate change related initiatives acrossthe city. Appendix 1 provides an executive summary of the Councils proposedsubmission. The full text of the Councils response is available as a backgroundpaper and has been placed in all Group rooms.

2.4 Further reports will be brought to Committee outlining specific actions being

progressed on carbon and climate change. These will include a comprehensivenew Carbon Management Plan and a Strategic Energy Action Plan (part of theEuropean Covenant of Mayors Initiative).

3 Financial implications

3.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report

4 Equalities impact

4.1 A pre-assessment was completed and a full Equalities Impact Assessment is not

required.

6PS/63/11-12/CG


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5 Environmental impact

5.1 The proposed report details positive actions being taken forward by the Council toreduce carbon emissions and adapt to the anticipated impacts of climate change

6 Recommendations

6.1 It is recommended that the Committee approves the submission of the proposedSCCD 2011 response to COSLA, as outlined in Appendix 1 and detailed in thebackground paper.

Alastair MacleanDirector of Corporate Governance

Appendices Appendix 1 : Scotland's Climate Change Declaration Summary

Contact/tel/Email James Garry Carbon, Climate and Sustainability Officer, Corporate GovernanceTel: 0131 4693578 Email: [email protected]

Wards affected All

Single OutcomeAgreement

Supports National Outcome 12: We value and enjoy our built and naturalenvironment and protect it and enhance it for future generations.

BackgroundPapers Scotland's Climate Change Declaration - Annual Report 2011


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Appendix 1

Scottish Climate Change Declaration Annual Report: Executive Summary

Introduction

Scotlands Climate Change Declaration is a public statement wherein local authorities acknowledgethe reality and implications of climate change and their responsibility to respond effectively. As asignatory to Scotlands Climate Change Declaration the Council is committed to taking action acrossa range of key areas. These can be summarised as:

1. Providing effective governance, leadership and management on climate change;2. Reducing the Councils own corporate greenhouse gas;3. Taking action to reduce emissions from the city;4. Taking action to adapt to the impacts of climate change; and5. Developing effective partnership working.

1. Governance, Leadership and Management

The Council has approved Sustainable Edinburgh 2020 a framework which sets out the Council'svision for the sustainable development of the city to 2020. Sustainable Edinburgh 2020 recognises

thatclimate change represents one of the biggest sustainability challenges we face. It commits theCouncil to ongoing collaboration with partner organisations to develop citywide programmesspecifically focused on this key area of sustainability and sets the following targets to ensure that by2020 Edinburgh will have: reduced carbon emissions by over 40% across the city;

more efficient energy consumption across all sectors by at least 12%;

more renewable energy with renewable energy technologies contributing to at least 40% ofenergy consumed in the city;

more low carbon transport using alternative technologies for transporting people and goodsaround the city;

adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change in partnership with key stakeholders andlocal communities; and

increased our microgeneration capacity to 10%.

2. Reducing the Councils own corporate greenhouse gas

The Council is striving to record and collate the most accurate possible footprint of its own carbonemissions. Throughout 2011 the Council worked in partnership with consultants from the CarbonTrust to fully review and update the Councils carbon footprint as part of a comprehensive review ofthe Councils Carbon Management Plan. The Councils corporate carbon emissions continue todecline. Emissions for 2010/11 were 180,994 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent). Themost recently available revised and updated information, incorporating updates to carbon emissionfactors, on the Councils carbon emissions available from the Councils Carbon Management Plan isas follows.

MAIN CARBON FOOTPRINT

CATEGORIES

2005/6

tCO2e

2006/7

tCO2e

2007/8

tCO2e

2008/9

tCO2e

2009/10

tCO2e

2010/11

tCO2e

Municipal waste 91,633 89,415 82,112 75,664 73,241 68,969

Building energy 68,363 72,643 73,230 74,745 76,549 80,174

Transport fuel 8,533 8,585 8,413 8,303 7,159 7,818

Transport staff travel 2,099 2,256 2,286 2,109 2,038 1,869

Infrastructure energy 22,283 21,855 22,298 22,266 22,177 22,164

TOTAL 192,911 194,754 188,338 183,088 181,165 180,994% change 2005/6 - 2010/11 6.2%


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Examples of relevant initiatives undertaken throughout the year to reduce the Councils corporateemissions include: Drafting of a new Carbon Management plan which will be brought to committee for approval

shortly; and the completion and submission of footprint and annual reports required under themandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme;

Approval of the HRA Capital Programme for the Councils housing stock and of a new CityHousing Strategy;

Working closely with partners such as Changeworks and Energy Saving Trust to provide advice

and information to change peoples behaviour towards carbon emission reduction; and Piloting of the DEMScot model developed by the Scottish Government has been used to model

Edinburgh's carbon emissions from housing;

3. Reducing emissions from the local authority area

Estimates of carbon emissions for the city of Edinburgh are available from the Department forEnergy and Climate Change (DECC). The most up-to-date data, indicated below, is available for2009, when emissions were calculated to be 3,068 kt CO2 (kilo-tonnes of carbon dioxide). Citywideemissions have shown a slowly declining trend since the baseline year of 2005.

Year Industry andCommercial

Domestic RoadTransport

LU/LUCF*

TotalktCO2.

2005 1,418 1,196 778 30 3,4212006 1,472 1,190 763 29 3,454

2007 1,450 1,178 773 28 3,428

2008 1,448 1,168 735 26 3,378

2009 1,280 1,039 723 26 3,068

*Land Use / Land-Use Change and Forestry (LU/LUCF).

Examples of relevant initiatives undertaken throughout the year to reduce citywide emissionsinclude:

Consulting on the Local Development Plans Main Issues Report which sets out six main issuesincluding climate change and environmental resources;

Participating in CASCADE, an EU-funded programme to develop local energy leadership andaddress issues such as renewables and decentralised energy; Launching of a Park Green tiered system for residents parking permits; and Publication of Edinburgh as a Low Carbon Economy, one of a series of economic theme

papers.

4. Adapting to a changing climate

Examples of relevant initiatives undertaken throughout the year to adapt to a changing climateinclude:

Working with Adaptation Scotland to pilot the Scottish adaptation workbook which provides astep-by-step guide to progressing work on adaptation;

Identifying and adopting flexible, low-cost service solutions that can be easily mobilised in the

event of severe winter weather, or demobilised in the case of a milder winter; Progressing Phase 1 of the Water of Leith Flood Prevention Scheme; and

Participating in the development of a prototype greenspace and climate change toolkit forparks.

5. Working in partnership

Examples of relevant partnership working initiatives undertaken throughout the year include: Establishing the a new climate change strategic partnership; Supporting the Transition Edinburgh movement; Supporting the growth of theEdinburgh Community Energy Co-operative Ltd; and Leading the Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan, which is delivered by a partnership of external

organisations and Council departments.


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Priorities for 2012

Embedding greenhouse gas emission reduction into all relevant Council policies, decision-making and operations;

Committing to reducing corporate greenhouse gas emissions through a revised CarbonManagement Plan;

Working with key stakeholders and community based organisations to raise awareness ofclimate change;

Promoting joint climate adaptation initiatives; and Ensuring the successful establishment of the citys Climate Change Strategic Partnership.

item no 6 - scottish climate change declaration - annual report 2011-1

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