Doncaster Climate & Biodiversity Commission

Doncaster Climate & Biodiversity Commission

Doncaster Climate & Biodiversity Commission Final Report to Team Doncaster [December 2020] (Main Report) A Greener, Fairer and More Prosperous Doncaster – Tackling the Climate and Biodiversity Crisis Doncaster Climate Commission Doncaster is on the front line of the climate emergency. Doncaster will deliver its contribution to the regional, national and international effort to tackle the climate change emergency, creating a stronger economy, a sustainable natural and built environment, and a better quality of life for residents and for future generations (Image: Flooding emergency in Doncaster, November 2019) Contents Introductions - Ed Miliband MP, Mayor Ros Jones 4 Purpose of this report 6 Executive summary 7 THE GLOBAL CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY EMERGENCY The global biodiversity crisis 16 Natural capital 17 How the climate and biodiversity emergency is affecting Doncaster 18 Targets, regulation and legislation – from global to local 19 Doncaster’s commitment 20 A POSITIVE VISION FOR A GREENER AND CLIMATE RESILIENT DONCASTER What a net-zero target means for households 23 Climate strategy 24 Our principles for action 25 CROSS-CUTTING THEMES Fairness & climate justice 27 Responsibility 28 Inclusion - why we need to involve everyone 30 Changing behaviours 31 DONCASTER’S POSITION Doncaster’s current emissions 32 Doncaster’s carbon budget 34 Doncaster’s net-zero target 36 CLIMATE STRATEGY THEMES Housing and buildings 38 Transport and travel 42 Energy 46 Land use 48 Natural carbon storage 52 Food 54 Business and enterprise 56 Resources and waste 58 Conclusion 60 References 62 APPENDICES Appendix A - Climate and Biodiversity Commission attendees 64 Appendix B - The Commission 65 Appendix C - Relevant frameworks and models 66 Appendix D - Aviation 68 Appendix E - Doncaster’s CO2 Emissions (2017) 70 3 Introductions Climate change matters because of the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren, but also because we can create a much better economic future for people across our region by tackling it. Ed Miliband MP Shadow Business and Energy As the MP for Doncaster North and a former Secretary, Labour MP for Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Doncaster North I was delighted to accept Mayor Ros Jones’ invitation last year to Chair Doncaster’s own Climate and Biodiversity Emergency Commission. We have seen first-hand that Doncaster is on the frontline of the climate emergency with both flooding and wildfires over the last twelve months. The Environment Agency anticipates that we are going to see more erratic weather in the future and we need to protect ourselves from this as well as playing our part in combatting the global climate emergency. When taking on this role, I was determined that Doncaster’s Climate Change Commission would help to develop ideas and policies to bring about a rapid green transition that is fair and just. We wanted to talk about the dream of a better life for residents, not just the nightmare of climate disaster. Retrofitting homes with more fuel-efficient heating systems will create jobs as well as lowering household bills. Planting trees and rewilding will help to tackle climate change, promote biodiversity and improve the quality of life in our communities. Imagine the cities and towns of the future: clean, green, with decent air quality, hospitable to walking and cycling, powered by renewables, with green space, and rewarding jobs in green industries – we already know that these things can happen, and are already beginning to happen around the world. This report says we can make it happen in Doncaster too. It will be a team effort: council, businesses and residents, with support from central government. We can build a better life for people and tackle the climate crisis. Let’s do it. 4 Everyone who cares about the future of our borough will care about the impact of climate change. I believe we have a moral duty to do what we can to combat climate change to ensure a future for planet earth and for future generations. Ros Jones As elected Mayor of Doncaster, I felt that it was my duty to bring a climate and biodiversity emergency motion to Full Council in Mayor of Doncaster September 2019, challenging ourselves to ask what more we can do to work towards becoming Carbon Neutral. We have seen for ourselves over the last 12 months the impacts of climate change, with flooding which devastated communities across our borough, wildfires on our moorland that destroyed hundreds of acres of carbon soaking peatland and challenging weather extremities of heatwaves followed by torrential rain. Responding to the challenge of climate change has never been more important, we need to both reduce emissions and put forward our ambitions for a cleaner, greener economy whilst protecting and enhancing the natural environment for future generations, the type of economy that is innovative and inclusive built on clean growth and decent wages, the type of health and care system that is sustainable and responsive to both current and future demands. The coronavirus pandemic has shown us how important the environment is. As we’ve been through lock-down and confined to our own homes, this has enabled us to re-engage with the environment and with nature, whether that be in our own gardens or local parks. I hope that our future post-Covid will see our love and appreciation for the environment and nature to only grow, to fully appreciate the wonderful planet we live on and to protect it for generations to come. Findings from Doncaster’s Commission will inform a radical Borough Strategy, signalling a commitment to grasp the opportunities that the crisis brings to accelerate progress toward a net-zero carbon and more regenerative place, and a commitment to work with partners at all levels to achieve this. I would like to express my thanks to all who contributed to the production of this report, especially the leadership exercised by Ed Miliband MP as chair of the Commission. 5 Final report to Team Doncaster, 2020 The purpose of this report is to summarise the considerations of the Doncaster Climate and Biodiversity Commission. It aims to provide a positive climate-resilience This report complements to the following reports way into the future, and give recommendations that will inform Doncaster’s Environment and • Doncaster Climate & Biodiversity Commission Sustainability Strategy and further policy- Interim Report, July 2020 making. • Doncaster Council: Carbon Neutrality Roadmap The Commission met between October 2019 Interim Report – Baseline Analysis, ENGIE July and September 2020, and was chaired by Rt. 2020 Hon. Ed Miliband, Member of Parliament for Doncaster North. A list of the organisations • Doncaster’s Environment and Sustainability represented in Commission discussions is Strategy – publication expected January 2021 provided in Appendix A. This report aims to This suite of reports, and further information, are represent the broad consensus reached through available on the Team Doncaster website: the Commission’s discussions, however this should not be taken as implying complete www.teamdoncaster.org.uk/the-commission unanimity of view; individual members reserve the right to vary in their opinion. 6 Executive Summary In September 2019, Doncaster Council declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency and the ‘Team Doncaster’ partnership of organisations set up a local Commission to advise on targets and actions for the borough as a whole in response to the threat of climate change. Why is climate a crucial issue for Doncaster? Globally, we are already beginning to notice The loss of nature – decline in numbers and the impact of a warming climate due to the extinction of wildlife, birds and insects, loss of release into the atmosphere of ‘greenhouse green spaces, trees, and wilder areas, loss of gases’ from human activity - wildfires in soil fertility for food production, over-fishing California, Australia and Brazil, and melting and pollution of rivers seas – destroys things of polar icecaps being just some examples we need for human survival, and also make we see in the news. nature more vulnerable to further damage by climate change. In Doncaster, we have experienced flooding as a result of much greater rainfall in the All of these issues have had considerable region than we would expect along with impact on our community – homes, work, serious wildfires on Hatfield Moors peatlands. livelihoods, the economy, education, sense of Local farmers have also reported difficult safety and security, and so on. weather conditions for growing, sometimes experiencing drought when crops need rain to Unfortunately, such challenges are likely to grow, and at other times having too much rain, continue and we are increasingly likely to making harvesting of crops difficult or even be affected by the impact of climate change impossible. We can anticipate that average elsewhere in the country or the world. So rainfalls will continue to increase. while we see evidence that global warming is happening elsewhere around the world, Damage to the natural environment a key finding of the Commission is that (‘biodiversity’) is also part of the problem Doncaster is already on the frontline of of climate change. climate change and biodiversity loss. 7 The main findings of this report The appearance of Coronavirus in 2020 has ! THE MAIN THING WE NEED TO DO introduced massive challenges and impact. IS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS Huge damage to global and local economies EMISSIONS IN DONCASTER OR has diverted much public expenditure that could RELATED TO DONCASTER. have supported climate initiatives. On the other hand it has demonstrated that radical changes In 2017, it is estimated that Doncaster are possible for example in travel and work produced 2059 Kilotonnes of carbon dioxide patterns. There are many calls to Government from activity such as driving vehicles or for the recovery to bridge economic prosperity heating homes and from producing the and environmental considerations towards a electricity we used.

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