East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy 2020 - 2025
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East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy 2020 - 2025 East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy 2020 - 2025 Overview Our vision To become a carbon neutral council working within a low carbon economy and lifestyle, reflected in our travel, homes, businesses, visitor experiences and communities. Our targets Carbon emissions: To reduce our carbon emissions annually, and to be carbon neutral by 2040. The target reductions are required for the UK and this Strategy identifies our contribution to achieve the targets in the Climate Act 2008. We will work with partners and contractors to support them in reducing their carbon footprint. We will also assist Town and Parish Councils, community and voluntary groups understand their carbon footprint and make changes to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Action Plan – Mitigation & Adaptation: We are including in our Climate Change Action Plan a mix of mitigation and adaptation measures to ensure that reducing emissions and preparing for climate change is given equal importance. We aim to undertake critical adaptation measures identified with partners to ensure the resilience of people, homes, communities, and businesses. Our Priorities • Increase resilience to climate change to maintain East Devon as a safe and healthy place to live, work and visit. • Enable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption in homes, transport and businesses in East Devon. • Enable the development of secure supplies of renewable and low carbon energy for individuals, communities, business and industry. • Support new development which seeks to minimise additional associated greenhouse gas emissions. • Contribute towards developing the low carbon economy. How are we planning to deliver these priorities and reach our targets? We will draw up 5 year Action Plans to address these key priorities, and progress towards them will be measured annually. How will we measure our success? • Carbon emissions will reduce in all Council Services, reaching or exceeding our targets. 1 East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy 2020 - 2025 • Reassess our carbon footprint annually. • Renewable and low carbon energy sources will support us in reaching or exceeding our targets. • Critical adaptation measures will be implemented. • New planned development will have minimal environmental impact. • The low carbon economy is thriving. Our Commitment “We need to manage the risks posed by climate change and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to promoting and enabling a shift to more sustainable and low carbon operations” Our Climate Change Strategy aims to set out our priorities and targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by East Devon District Council that contribute to national and global efforts as well as to limit the dangerous effects of climate change, and to manage the risks posed by a changing climate. The scale of new development being planned across East Devon could generate significant additional CO2 emissions, and it will be necessary to plan and deliver growth in a way that minimises new energy demand and contributes to climate resilient; low carbon living, travel and energy infrastructure. The transition to a low carbon place also presents significant economic opportunities and it will be important to take steps to capture economic benefits locally. We recognise the importance of our leadership in supporting and enabling the development and delivery of local solutions to help address these global problems. This Strategy sets out our commitment and ambition for delivering the transition to a low carbon and climate resilient, East Devon District Council. As part of our carbon reduction journey we committed to the Devon Climate Change Declaration in July 2019, which is reproduced below: 1. This Declaration has been prepared by a consortium of public, private and voluntary organisations collaborating through a Devon Climate Emergency Response Group. It sets out an ambition to tackle climate change that covers all of Devon, including those people who live, work in and visit our county, and those businesses who are based or operate here. 2. We are aware of the significant implications of climate change for Devon’s communities; it is already affecting our environment, infrastructure, economy and health & wellbeing. If not addressed, the impact on future generations will be profound and the ability to meet the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals will be severely compromised. 3. We understand that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has advised that carbon emissions must reduce globally by at least 2 East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy 2020 - 2025 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels and reach net-zero by 2050 if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change by keeping warming below 1.5 degrees. 4. We will lead in the global response to climate change through our collective action, innovation and influence. 5. Individually, we will review (within 6 months) our plans to reduce our organisation’s carbon emissions to meet or exceed these targets, including ensuring the people we do business with are doing the same. We will publicly report our carbon emissions annually in accessible formats. 6. In collaboration, we will engage Devon’s residents, businesses and visitors to develop and implement a plan to facilitate the reduction of Devon’s production and consumption emissions to meet IPCC recommendations at the latest. We will openly report progress on its delivery. We know this transformational change will be challenging and will include: Deploying more renewable, decentralised and smart energy systems Retrofitting energy-efficiency measures into our existing buildings Constructing zero-carbon new buildings Travelling less and using improved walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure more often, and using electric and hydrogen vehicles Changing our consumption to use less, re-use more and choose low-carbon options Challenging all economic sectors to review their practices and the values of those they do business with Divesting from fossil fuels Changing our dietary patterns and reducing food waste Changing agricultural practices to reduce emissions associated with farming operations, manage soils sustainably and replenish soil carbon Encouraging carbon storage such as through tree planting, the use of wood in construction and peatland restoration Empowering the people of Devon with the knowledge and skills to act collectively. 7. Additionally, we will work to understand the near-term and future risks of climate change for Devon to plan for how our infrastructure, public services and communities will have to adapt for a 1.5-degree warmer world. 3 East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy 2020 - 2025 8. Local organisations and communities cannot do this alone as national government plays a key role in many of the policy areas that are vital to reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. We call on government to prioritise decarbonisation and adaptation within decision making and work with us by using its powers to provide the resources and funding necessary to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy and society. 9. We challenge every organisation, business, community and individual to do the same. Introduction and Policy Context Our Changing Climate The global climate is changing, with greenhouse gas emissions from human activity the dominant cause. The global increase in temperature of 0.85°C since 1880 is mirrored in the UK climate with higher temperatures and evidence of more extreme weather events. Sea levels globally and around the UK have risen by 15-20 centimetres since 1900 with significant contributions now coming from the melting ice sheets over Greenland and Antarctica. In the UK, average sea levels are currently rising by 3 millimetres per year. Plant and animal species are feeling the onset of spring and summer, on average, 11 days earlier than in the 1970s. Winter rainfall is arriving in more intense bursts. Our climate is being and will be influenced by a combination of warming caused by past emissions, future emissions, and natural climate variability. Global temperatures will continue to rise over the 21st century. The science is telling us that it is very likely that heat waves will occur more often and last longer, and that extreme precipitation events will become more intense and frequent in many regions. The ocean will continue to warm and acidify, and global warming means sea levels will continue to rise. Continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and long-lasting changes in all components of the climate system, increasing the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. Both extreme weather events and long-term gradual climate change will have wide- ranging implications. In the UK we are expecting increasingly hot dry summers and warm wet winters, alongside more extreme weather events with floods, storms and heat waves of greater severity and frequency, and sea level rise. Changes in the climate elsewhere in the world will also impact upon the UK. There is a significant risk of declining crop yields globally, and rising sea levels will mean that the homes of many millions of people around the world (including the UK) are likely 4 East Devon District Council Climate Change Strategy 2020 - 2025 to be affected by coastal flooding.