The Reading Climate Emergency Strategy 2020-25 November 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 03 5.0 DELIVERING THE STRATEGY 17 5.1 The role of the Reading Climate Change Partnership and other partners 17 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 05 5.2 Resources for strategy implementation 17 1.0 INTRODUCTION 06 5.3 Action Plans for key themes 18 1.1 The Reading Climate Emergency Strategy 06 - Energy and Low Carbon Development 19 1.2 Purpose of this document 06 - Transport 26 1.3 Ownership of the strategy 06 - Resources 34 2.0 CLIMATE CHANGE: THE CONTEXT 07 - Water 40 2.1 The global and national context 07 - Nature 47 2.2 Global and national progress to date 08 - Health and Wellbeing 54 2.3 The local context: Reading’s carbon footprint 09 2.4 Reading’s progress to date 09 6.0 COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT 59 6.1 Our ambition for community engagement in action on climate change 59 2.5 Reading’s exposure to climate change impacts 10 6.2 A climate change communications and engagement plan for Reading 59 3.0 VISION AND TARGETS 11 3.1 Our vision 11 7.0 GOVERNANCE, MONITORING AND REPORTING 65 7.1 Monitoring and reporting 65 3.2 Our target 11 7.2 Governance 65 3.3 Preparing Reading for the impacts of climate change 11 3.4 The benefits of taking action on climate change 12 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 66 ACRONYMS USED 67 4.0 READING’S PATHWAY TO NET ZERO BY 2030 14 4.1 Reading’s energy demand and priorities on the pathway to net zero 14 4.2 The pathway to net zero in numbers for energy use in the built environment 14 4.3 Decarbonising power supply and the need for Reading to ‘go electric’ 15 4.4 Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic 15 2 s the new decade began, the impacts of a changing climate were making FOREWORD Aheadlines around the world. The wildfires, floods and extremes of temperature now being experienced are all worryingly consistent with what the climate science by Co-Chairs of the Reading has been predicting. In 2018 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees – considered necessary to avert Climate Change Partnership the most catastrophic impacts – would require ‘rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society’. Through the declaration of a climate emergency in February 2019, and commitment to the goal of a net zero carbon Reading by 2030, our community has embraced the call to action laid down by the IPCC. Reading has a proud history of taking action on climate change – since 2005, carbon emissions per person have fallen by 52% in the borough, the 4th largest reduction of any local authority in England. Reading Borough Council has reduced its own carbon footprint by 62.5% since 2008 and many other partners in Reading have made significant steps on the journey to net zero carbon. But we know these impressive achievements are not enough. We must now re-double our efforts to accelerate the journey towards a net zero carbon Reading in the short time which the science suggests is available. So please, treat the climate crisis The 2018 IPCC report also highlighted the many benefits to people and the environment which would flow from taking action on climate change as the like the acute crisis it is and give us measures required should also contribute to a more equitable and sustainable society. So, responding positively to the climate emergency is also aligned with Reading’s a future.Our lives are in your hands. aspiration to achieve clean and inclusive economic development from which the whole community benefits: as well as being a practical necessity, responding to the climate – Greta Thunberg (2019) emergency represents a major opportunity. The transition to net zero carbon also needs to be a just transition, so that the costs and benefits are apportioned fairly. This is really important to bear in mind as we think about people whose home has been flooded, whose health has suffered or whose children have asked whether they have a future they can look forward to: for them the impacts of a changing climate already feel very real, and research shows that the most vulnerable people will bear the brunt of these impacts. Climate change is happening now and the die is cast for the coming decades – preparing for these changes will be an essential part of our future strategy. Public concern for the state of the environment has never been higher, so publication of this strategy has not come a moment too soon. The aim of the Reading Climate Change Partnership in producing this strategy is to set out a clear pathway to a net zero carbon, resilient Reading and to harness the commitment of everybody who lives, works, studies or plays in Reading to work together to achieve this ambition. In this sense we believe that the Partnership is truly what it describes: a close collaboration and an open and transparent working arrangement between business, academia, NGOs, community groups, the people of Reading and Reading Borough Council. 3 So, as Reading re-thinks its future in the light of COVID-19, we also need to think about how we plan for the longer-term: to think and re-imagine Reading as a greener, more resilient and net zero carbon urban area to 2030, and beyond to 2050. This also connects to the ongoing work of Reading 2050 and the recovery strategies of various partners, so we will need to collaborate to ensure Reading’s approach is closely What happens next is up to us all… integrated and produces a recovery that uses the crisis as an opportunity to tackle I truly believe that together we can climate change and create sustainable, inclusive economic growth. As we said earlier, this has been very much a partnership effort and we would like to bring about the transformative express our appreciation to the members of the Reading Climate Change Partnership Board, the theme leads and group members who have given generously of their change that is needed. time and expertise to develop this strategy. We are especially grateful for the huge – Sir David Attenborough enthusiasm and commitment of our predecessor, Chris Beales, who completed his two-year term as Chair in April 2020 and who steered the strategy through most of the development phase. Finally, we would like to thank all of the individuals and groups who attended our discovery events and responded to the consultation – we look forward to you The net zero carbon transition presents huge challenges, but it is clear that the costs playing an active role in helping deliver our shared vision for a net zero carbon, and risks of embracing it will be far outweighed by the costs and risks of not taking resilient Reading. action. We must also recognise that many of the factors which will influence our ability to reach net zero by 2030 remain out of the control of the partners in Reading Professor Tim Dixon and will require clear commitment by, for example, our national government. This strategy therefore sets out not only the action we need to take ourselves to tackle the Tracey Rawling Church climate emergency, but also the steps we need others to take to help us deliver our Co-chairs of Reading Climate Change Partnership ambitious aims. Ultimately, we cannot ignore the fact that this strategy is being launched in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Indeed, the launch was delayed by four months as the public consultation stage was extended to allow people time to adapt to the new ways of living necessary to reduce infection rates. The imminent existential threat of the virus is clearly an urgent priority for all of us, but the risk of deep and lasting harm from climate change remains, and we cannot wait until we have resolved one threat before we address the other. The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted our lives in many ways, some of which have reduced carbon emissions and contributed to ‘climate-positive’ behaviour. For example, the reduction in air traffic and commuting has reduced emissions and air quality has improved in many towns and cities, including Reading. Being confined to our homes has brought many of us a new appreciation of the importance of green spaces for health and wellbeing; it has also changed our patterns of consumption. But at the same time there are new waste streams being created by disposable masks and plastic gloves, as well as the manufacturing impacts of producing items that were not necessary previously. This new reality has to be taken into account alongside the extensive feedback received through public consultation. 4 Acknowledgments We would like to thank the following people for their contribution to this document: Anon Ahmad Margaret Gardner Kathryn McCann Sam Shean Jacquie Allan Andy Gillespie Amanda McDonnell Helen Sheldrake Mohammed Ayub Cristina Gomez Leanne McKrill Debbie Shore Emma Baker Tony Goodchild Tracey Middleton Caroline Smith Adele Barnett-Ward Steven Gough Eugene Mohareb Ayo Sokale Niki Barton Clare Grashoff Peter Moore Helena Soteriou Chris Beales Lilian Green Tomiko Morley Ben Stanesby Rebecca Blakey Evangeline Haggarty Brian Morley Mark Stanley John Booth Sarah Hanson Oscar Mortali Trevor Teer Ben Bosh Faye Hargreaves Marielle Mouyon Andrew Tucker Katie Brett Poppy Harris Clare Muir James Turner Lorraine Briffitt Paul Harrison Stephen Naylor Owen Turpin, Micheal Bright Rachel Hazell Katherine Naylor Anke Uberberg Monika Bulmer Hazel Hill Yolanda Nicholson Alexa Volker Sarah Burchard Kathryn Horsepool Alex Nickson Melanie Ward Ben Burfoot Nigel Horton-Baker Andrew Nind Nicky Wheeler Sarah Burr Christina Hughes Nind Jackie Oversby Oliver White Oliver Burt Andrew Hughes Nind Tony Page Rob White Susannah Bury Iris Hunt Helen Palmer Jill Wigmore-Welsh Cris Butler Katherine Hyde Sophie Paul Rose Williams Andrew Charlton-Perez Ross Jarvis Ellen Pilsworth Stephen Wise Alan Clark Carolyn Jenkins Richard Price Scott Witchalls Joanna Clark Barbara Jerome Lucy Prismall Mark Worringham Phil Coker Michael Keith-Lucas Erica Purvis Vincent Zhuo Kirstin Coley Paul Kemp Rosie Rand Duncan Cook Sara Kopp Tracey Rawling Church A special thank you to Ed Hawkins, Tony Cowling Adrian Lawson Nick Read University of Reading for his permission Adam Daum Pam Lewis Gill Ringland to use his climate stripes imagery.