Carbon Footprint of Housing in the Leeds City Region – a Best Practice Scenario Analysis
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Future Sustainability Programme - Policy Paper Carbon Footprint of Housing in the Leeds City Region – A Best Practice Scenario Analysis John Barrett and Elena Dawkins 2008 Carbon Footprint of Housing in the Leeds City Region – A Best Practice Scenario Analysis John Barrett and Elena Dawkins Commissioned by the Environment Agency Stockholm Environment Institute Kräftriket 2B 106 91 Stockholm Sweden Tel: +46 8 674 7070 Fax: +46 8 674 7020 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.sei.se Publications Manager: Erik Willis Web Manager: Howard Cambridge Layout: Richard Clay Cover Photo: Winter sunrise, Otley Road Leeds ©RClay Copyright © 2008 by the Stockholm Environment Institute This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educa- tional or non-profit purposes, without special permission from the copyright holder(s) provided acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of this publication may be made for resale or other commercial purpose, without the written permission of the copyright holder(s). ii CONTENTS Executive Summary iv Introduction 1 Scope of this report 2 Policy Targets for GHG Reduction 3 Profile of Leeds City Region 4 Results from Other Studies 6 Using Reap For an Environmental Assessment of the Leeds City Region RSS Housing Policy 6 Regional Strategies and Climate Change – Evaluating the Contribution that Key Regional Strategies Make Towards Addressing Climate Change 6 What is a “Continuing Trends Scenario? 7 Continuing Trends Scenario 7 Continuing trends results 8 What would the total CO2e emissions be in 2026 to achieve an 80% reduction by 2050? 9 Measures to Achieve the Target 10 Introduction 10 Measure 1: Building Better New Homes (regional best practice) 10 Measure 2: Retrofit of Existing Homes (regional best practice) 13 Measure 3: Further Retrofit Reductions (External Wall Insulation) 16 Measure 4: Behavioural Change 17 Measure 5: Low and Zero Carbon Technologies 19 Measure 6: Selective Demolition and Rebuild 22 Potential Policy Mixes 24 Policy mix 1: best practice applied throughout the City Region 25 Policy mix 2, 3 and 4: the path for achieving the 80% reduction target 26 Policy Implications 28 Appendix 1: Workshop Feedback on New Builds 30 Appendix 2: Retrofitting 32 Appendix 3: Behavioural Change 34 Appendix 4: Low / Zero Carbon Technologies 36 Appendix 5: Table of Assumptions made for Each Measure 38 iii Carbon Footprint of Housing in the Leeds City Region – A Best Practice Scenario Analysis Executive Summary BacKGROUND pumps, wind turbines and combined Climate change will impact, not only on heat and power systems. the environment, but on social equity and • Ensuring new build compliance with the the economy. The scientific consensus is government’s timetable for the Code for that for the UK to play its part in limiting Sustainable Homes (improving to ‘zero dangerous climate change, we must reduce carbon’ by 2016) will achieve less than our carbon emissions by 80 per cent of their 10 per cent of the required reduction. 1990 levels by 2050. The Prime Minister has asked the independent Committee on Climate • A policy mix of the above measures Change to strengthen the UK’s current 60 per would still leave the city region cent target before it is incorporated into the slightly short of its 38 million tonne Climate Change Bill. This committee will target for 2026. The shortfall could advise on the first three 5-year carbon budgets be met by fitting wall insulation to for 2008-2022 and the relative contributions 90,000 properties without cavity from different sectors of the economy. walls, installing LZC technology to a 27 per cent of the country’s carbon emissions further 170,000 homes, or the energy are the result of domestic energy use. Better efficient rebuild of 51,000 poorly evidence is needed on the size of carbon performing properties demolished reductions that can be achieved by making under regeneration schemes. our homes more energy efficient. Approach Key findings of the study The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) • Even with increases in population and was commissioned by the Environment housing, Leeds City Region can make Agency to carry out a carbon footprint analysis a significant contribution to carbon of the housing sector, using the Leeds City emissions reduction by 2026 through Region (LCR) as an example. The aim was to the widespread adoption of domestic determine our ability to meet the 80 per cent energy saving measures. by 2050 challenge of energy efficiency in the housing sector. The study relates specifically • Retrofitting almost all existing homes to LCR but its findings will help any planning is the most effective energy efficiency and development teams make the right measure; introduction of cavity wall and decisions and gain the resources necessary loft insulation, energy efficient glazing, to meet carbon budgets at regional and local draught proofing, improved boilers and levels. low energy light bulbs could deliver over half the required reduction. With a growing population and an additional 263,000 housing units to be built within LCR • More than 20 per cent of the reduction, by 2026, the housing sector would need to by 2026, will need to come from reduce its expected total carbon dioxide energy saving behaviour influenced by emissions by 38 million tonnes between educational campaigns and incentives 2010 and 2026 to be on track for 80 per cent to adopt technology such as smart savings in 2050. metering. The report outlines the most detailed analysis • A further 12 per cent of the reduction to date of the required measures to deliver can be achieved if a third of existing a growth-based regional housing strategy, homes draw some heat or power from alongside reducing carbon emissions. If their own or community based Low the city region’s new and existing housing and Zero Carbon technologies (LZCs). is to attain the levels of energy efficiency These include solar water heating, solar necessary to deliver these carbon savings, big electricity, ground or air source heat changes will be required in the way we build, iv Stockholm Environment Institute maintain and run our homes over the next • Planners will need to make judgements 20 years. There are pockets of good practice on how new build, retrofit and already in the region and the study shows associated LZC schemes will perform that by combining innovative measures and contribute to a low carbon future, on construction standards, improvements extending beyond consideration to existing housing, low and zero carbon of the location and appearance of technologies and changing behaviour development. of householders, LCR can achieve the necessary savings to meet its carbon • The changes required represent a budget. significant employment opportunity and commercial rewards for early Essential and optional measures to meet movers in the city region. the 38 million tonne carbon emissions reduction • From 2026 to 2050 there will be fewer options available as retrofit Other key messages will be complete in the existing stock with all new homes being built as • The study has produced relevant zero carbon. Further reductions from evidence to the Leeds City Region and behavioural change and the expansion other UK regions. of decentralised LZC energy systems • The study sets a total carbon budget serving communities and districts will over the medium term, assessing be needed. potential different emission reduction • No matter how well we do reducing measures to meet that budget. This carbon emissions, some climate approach to local carbon accounting change is now unavoidable. There are and performance monitoring is relevant potential benefits in combining energy to housing and other sectors. efficiency plans for existing buildings • It is essential that good practice and and adapting the same properties to innovation being developed in local cope better with the inevitable impacts authorities is shared regionally and of climate change. nationally, including that for business models and partnership funding arrangements. Further retrofit-external wall insulation 3.4% OR additional LZCs 3.4% Option Measure OR rebuild of demolished properties 3.4% Building better new homes 9% Low and zero carbon technologies 12.4% Behavioural change 22% Essential Measures Major retrofit of cavity wall homes 53.2% Figure 1: Contribution of measures to the 38 million tonne reduction target v Carbon Footprint of Housing in the Leeds City Region – A Best Practice Scenario Analysis Table 1: Scale of implementation and effectiveness of essential and option measures CO saving Scale of implementation over period Essential measures 2 % of 38mt required (m. tonnes) 2010 to 2026 50,000 per year (90-95% take-up by Major retrofit 20.2 53.2% 2026) 0.6% energy consumption reduction per Behavioural change 8.3 22% year Low and zero carbon 30,000 per year (35% of all homes by 4.7 12.4% technologies 2026) All new homes (14,000 per year) to Code Building better new homes 3.5 9% for Sustainable Homes timetable Total 36.7 96.6% CO saving Scale of implementation over period Option Measures 2 % of 38mt required (m. tonnes) 2010 to 2026 Further retrofit to non-cavity 5,000 per year (22% of all non-cavity wall 1.3 3.4% wall homes homes by 2026) Additional 10,000 per year (increasing OR Further LZC technologies 1.3 3.4% coverage to 47% of all homes by 2026) OR Rebuild of demolished 1.3 3.4% 3,000 homes per year or 51,000 by 2026 properties Total 38 100% vi Stockholm Environment Institute Introduction he political momentum to address the A greenhouse gas emissions target is Tadverse effects of climate change through established for the Yorkshire and the Humber both mitigation and adaptation is mounting. At region1 which is broadly aligned with the a national level the Sterne Review has focused 2006 UK Climate Change Action Plan target.