GM GREEN CITY REGION PARTNERSHIP Date: 12th March 2021 Subject: PERFORMANCE UPDATE – Q4 (Jan-Mar) Report of: Mark Atherton, Director Environment, GMCA PURPOSE OF REPORT The report provides the usual update on progress of the Green City Region Partnership for the fourth quarter of 2020/21. RECOMMENDATIONS: The Partnership is recommended to: Note and comment upon the progress outlined in this report and latest position set out in the dashboards attached at: a. Annex 01 (Environment Performance Overview) and b. Annex 02 (5 Year Environment Plan KPIs). CONTACT OFFICERS: Contact Officer: Mark Atherton, GM Director of Environment [email protected] 1.0 OVERVIEW OF PROGRESS The updates at Annexes 01 (Environment Team Performance Overview) & 02 (5 Year Environment Plan Performance) contain a summary of key achievements during the last quarter across the areas within the 5 Year Environment Plan. There are a number of key successes to be highlighted, set out below: Energy Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP)/LEM - Bury’s LAEP is to be issued by ESC by the end of March 21; Bruntwood and OVO have issued their respective proposals for Non-Domestic and Domestic Value Sharing propositions; OVO have issued their survey for the use of Sonnen batteries and Bruntwood are in contract talks to install trial EV chargers during the month of Mar 21; Daikin and Northward Housing to trial the installation of ASHPs to existing building stock; Carbon Co-op have commenced all user engagement requirements; Bruntwood has appointed Upside Energy to assist in the design development of the market making platform; REGEN have commenced discussions with key partners for the development of the business case ref investment and Cornwall Insight have overseen all regulatory issues and advised accordingly. GMCA communications have commenced with the LEM website, external communications with all partners and development of an animation showing the proposed LEM works. Unlocking Clean Energy for GM (ESC led Energy Generation Project) - Procurement underway for Stockport’s `Endeavour’ House project. Work is ongoing to explore additional projects to utilise projected underspend following the exit of Oldham. DEEP Phase 2 (Decarbonising Heat Project) - Data has been collected to support the drafting of the outline business cases. Asset data collection exercise for GMCA/LA renewable energy generation completed and issued to partner to review. Options paper prepared on Go Neutral 2 proposed approach. Site attractiveness tool in development, linking in with MappingGM. Energy Innovation Agency Board Terms of Reference and Collaboration Agreements will be signed by the end of March enabling the Board to be formed and recruitment of staff to commence. MOU signed with the relevant partners to develop the concept of a Trafford multi energy vector mini-industrial cluster and communications on the project released. Buildings Local Energy Advice Programme (LEAP): 457 energy advice calls/visits completed to date, delivery cr£428,000 of lifetime bill savings. STEP-IN: Analysis of results for final report ongoing, led by University of Manchester. The ‘Accelerating retrofit for a carbon neutral future’ report is complete and examines the need and opportunity for domestic retrofit in Greater Manchester with a focus on delivering Net Zero housing stock by 2038. The GM housing stock data baseline and accompanying suite of modelled data is being structured to allow access and use by GM districts and other stakeholders. A presentation/Q&A on this piece of work will be given at the March Partnership meeting. The market segmentation retrofit report highlights 31% of GM homeowners are willing to undertake some form of retrofit activity. It also identifies possible key messaging to influence this group to do more faster and what messaging will resonate with the other 69%. A briefing note outlining how the Accelerator will be created will be drafted and discussed and next steps clearly identified. The Green Homes Grant (GHG) programme has secured £10.3m across GHG LAD Phases 1A and 1b. Cr2000 leads generated since the commencement of the programme, resulting in cr800 qualified leads. Public Sector Decarbonisation funding application for £80.7m successful and PSDS Section 31 and MoU for the full amount have been received with conditions attached. Procurement and grid connection activity has commenced. £450k application to the LCSF also successful, and this will be allocated to project delivery support and building heat decarbonisation plans. Transport Mayor’s Challenge Fund (MCF) - As of February CA report, 65 MCF schemes have received development cost budget approval, with a combined development cost budget of £35.3 million; 21 MCF work packages have secured full funding approval, with an associated total committed value of £41.3 million of MCF funding; Active Travel Fun schemes are in development with delivery report being prepared for approval by the CA in March alongside governance and design principles document; and GM bike hire enters negotiation phase to selecting supplier in Q2 2021 CleanAirGM - 4765 responses were received during the consultation period. The responses are being assessed to inform the final plan which will be brought forward for decision makers as soon as is reasonably practicable and no later than summer 2021. EV Charging Network – Draft EVCI strategy reviewed by Local Authorities and Electricity Northwest (ENW) for comment; EV taxi site engagement has been relaunched and live until Mid-March. Review taking place for on-street charging fund criteria. Vehicle charging solutions for procured fleet of Nissan Env200 battery electric vans being researched and approval to be sought on the selected technology. Draft business case detailing options to accelerate the roll out of zero emissions bus fleet is being development and includes: 1) strategic value, 2) affordability and funding, 3) economic value, and 4) commercial and contractual options, and the management of delivery. Operator Liaison will be happening during March; currently working with ENW to establish a preliminary understanding of the infrastructure requirements and costs of the energy sector. Procurement strategy for 23 electric buses approved, tender documents to be developed and the tender exercise to commence. Retrofit works through Clean Bus Technology Fund (CBTF) are now 90% complete, and due to finish in March 21. Retrofit funding through Clean Bus Fund (CBF) commenced in December 20. By the end of January 21, approximately 650 buses (around 70% of estimated uptake) had been awarded funding. Works likely to commence from April 21 through the next financial year. GM Freight Strategy development progressing with SMART Action Plan. Sustainable Consumption and Production Contract awarded for Local Levers project - 'Creating behavioural change through the use of local levers’. Inception meeting to commence beginning of March 21. Draft SCP plan to be completed mid-March and launched at the next SCP Challenge Group meeting which is to be scheduled for the end of March 21. UoM led 'One Bin To Rule Them All' collaborative project on circularising plastics commenced. Currently looking for one District to be a trial area for One Bin covering 30 households over two seasons. To date an expression of interest has been received from Trafford and Rochdale. Salford progressing interest on MMU's CirMap 3 year £6M project to support with locations for customised concrete furniture made by 3D printing from waste concrete. Opportunity for 4 more Districts to participate. Second draft received on Public Sector single use plastics spend review in catering. Data received from Bolton Council, Greater Manchester Police, Manchester City Council, Salford City Council, GMFRS, GMCA and Oldham Council. Mattress recycling facility opened in Bolton as part of the SUEZ waste management contract with mattress recycling containers installed at 18 HWRCs. HWRC re-use shops at Altrincham, Eccles and Oldham are on schedule to be complete by end of March 2021. Opening dates are dependent on Covid restrictions. Work is ongoing on GM Food Strategy and production of a web-based toolkit. R4GM campaigns – District-wide home composting campaign currently being delivered; supporting Wrap’s Food Waste Action Week 1-7th March with promotion across social media accounts, newsletters, website and digital advertising, toolkit (newsletter copy sent to Districts and Housing Associations); and a nappies campaign to stop people putting nappies in the wrong bin to launch 11th March in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy. Natural Environment Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) pilot - A series of stakeholder workshops were held across Jan/Feb 21 to gather evidence on priority outcomes to form part of strategy. Additional Natural Environment toolkit resources created as part of the Defra Peat Pilot. Consultants TEP producing a Natural Capital User Guide to be used as a one stop shop for natural capital tools. Restoration of peatland - Salford City Council have developed policy proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prohibit new operations which significantly increase emissions on the Chat Moss peatlands; GM partners took part in inaugural meeting of DEFRA Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force NW to understand and influence national policy in this area. Natural Course - Consultants appointed to carry out habitat and fluvial surveys within the Whittle Brook waterbody which contains the Northern Gateway