Developing North Lanarkshire's Journey to Net-Zero Greenhouse Emissions
North Lanarkshire Council · 24 August 2022
Back to Environment and Place Committee — 24 August 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Environment and Place Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref DB/JMcK/LS Date 24/08/22 Developing North Lanarkshire’s Journey to Net-zero Greenhouse Emissions PO87.1.2: Climate change – committing to net zero From James McKinstry, Asset & Procurement Solutions E-mail McKinstryj@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939281102 Executive Summary Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions is a significant task and challenge for the council. The council has set its own ambitious timescale for achieving this ahead of the nationally set 2045 date. This report examines the council’s net-zero progress and journey to date, and some of the actions it is required to achieve and / or facilitate through national policy development and regulation in the next few years. The progress to date has been enhanced via extenuating influences and therefore highlights the need to upscale the delivery of actions in order to make good progress. The absence of a defined North Lanarkshire pathway to net-zero indicates that there is a gap in the council’s knowledge and expertise and therefore a need for external assistance. Recommendations It is recommended that the Environment and Place Committee: (1) Acknowledge the continuous improvement of climate change governance within the council (2) Acknowledge other Scottish local authorities face similar challenges to the council in reaching net-zero by 2030 (3) Recognise the efforts of services in terms of their current commitment to net-zero (4) Acknowledge that there are key points in the council’s journey to net-zero predetermined via legislation and regulation (current and impending) (5) Whilst acknowledging the excellent progress made to date within existing resources recognise and support that there is a need for external assistance to facilitate the next steps of the council’s climate change delivery programme (6) Be advised that future updates on progress will be provided
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The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement (25) Ensure intelligent use of data and information to support fully evidence based decision making and future planning
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1. Background 1.1 Since the signing of the climate change declaration in 2007 the council has committed itself to tackling this issue. We have through our initial carbon management plan (2010) and the Local Housing Strategy incorporated to varying degrees climate change, energy efficiency and fuel poverty into our action planning such as Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS), Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) and Non-Domestic Energy Efficiency (NDEE). With the introduction of the duty to report annually on our compliance with the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 [as amended], our focus has widened as an organisation recognising the need to not only fulfil our responsibility to mitigate but to adapt and act sustainably. i.e. meet the full extent of our duties. 1.2 The North Lanarkshire Climate Plan ACT2030 is the first in a suite of documents to set the strategic direction for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and is based on the target set within the council’s Climate Emergency declaration. Figure 1 NLC's Carbon Boundary (excluding social housing) 2020-21 1.3 The council has made good progress in its climate journey, and this is supported in the 56,714 carbon tonnes equivalent (tco2e) reduction of its reported footprint (Figure 1) which is nearly half of emissions reported in its baseline year of 2015/16. There has been steady project delivery via the Non Domestic Energy Efficiency Framework as well as the street light conversion programme. Internal policies have impacted on the annual footprint such as the ‘bin amnesty’ in 2017/18 and the increase in miles to be reported due to changes to business mileage in 2021. The council has benefited from the Clyde Valley Residual Waste Project in that Municipal Waste to Landfill emissions have been reduced by 77.24%. There are other influences which enhance our progress such as the decarbonisation of the electricity grid factors that has resulted in a 49.4% reduction in the emissions generated by 1 kilowatt. This combined with a 24.88% reduction in electricity consumption has resulted in an overall reduction of 61.99% in electricity related emissions. The two examples highlighted account for 44.71% reductions in the emissions from the baseline. 1.4 The council has expanded its climate related activity, and this is reflected in the consolidated Services’ Climate Plan Actions (See Appendix 2) however it is clear that whilst there is a significant level of action and intent, these actions alone are not sufficient to achieve our climate target set for 2030. There are many challenges faced by the council however an acceleration and upscale of deliberate action is what is required to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Finance is key to this. Identifying appropriate funding sources is and will continue to be a challenge for the council.
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1.5 Committee should note that the council are not alone in setting challenging targets1 with the City of Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, Renfrew and The Moray all setting their net-zero target for 2030. 1.6 It is not apparent the level of action and spend required to meet the council’s ambition of net-zero emissions. It is clear however that going forward, current projects are not sufficient in scale to solely effect progress towards the challenge that is net-zero. The current energy crisis has impacted on the country affecting the most vulnerable in our society, increasing the levels of fuel poverty to approximately 33%-50% of households. The Tackling Poverty Strategy looks to address this particular issue through maximising households’ finance and the provision of advice and assistance. It however cannot address the cost of energy. There is an obvious ‘unaddressed need’ for locally generated, affordable energy. 1.7 The Heat in Buildings Strategy has an expectation that all buildings including domestic properties will have zero emission heat requirements in the future. Local authorities in particular are expected to accelerate this action. (At time of writing, electricity is not carbon-free despite the scale of renewable generation in Scotland). District heating is being cited as the way forward for decarbonisation and the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 has been introduced as a mechanism to regulate this. This will provide opportunities for communities to benefit from affordable heat and lower the per capita emissions. The Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy will be required to incorporate this (the decarbonisation and affordability of heat). 1.8 There are significant challenges to the council and the area of North Lanarkshire. Addressing the energy and heat needs individually would continue to lack sufficient scale and be resource intensive. The Scottish Government Energy Strategy’s 2050 Vision includes local energy economies which support local energy security, decarbonisation coupled with affordability for residents, communities and business. The council must examine opportunities via project development such as the provision of: • Heat; • Electricity; • Meeting transport needs (including hydrogen); and • Energy storage 1.9 Renewable technology has long been the guided path for decarbonisation and was mandated via the EU 20-20-20 directive. With 98.6% of gross electricity consumption in 2020 met by renewables, the March 2021 position statement of the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy continued the national commitment to increase both on and off shore renewables. 1.10 Hydrogen has long been on the ‘routemap’ to net-zero however it has never been certain of ‘when’. Until now it has appeared too far off to be a reliable heat solution and thus often disregarded in the planning of local energy systems; however significant progress has been made recently with isolated projects and this will be more of a viable solution in the coming years. 1.11 Hydrogen is also viewed as a good option for decarbonising transport. Although the car industry is moving towards a more electrical solution for light goods vehicles (LGV’s), hydrogen now seems to be the fuel of choice for heavy goods vehicles (HGV’s) due to 1 See Appendix 1
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their greater range. The concern at present is that there is a chicken and egg situation – no HGV fleet will move to Hydrogen vehicles without a guaranteed fuel supply and no fuel supplier will invest in infrastructure if there is no market. North Lanarkshire benefits from having good transport links and therefore is a likely location for facilitating the growth in both road and rail use of hydrogen: • On-road – a road network of 1,701 kilometres including the M8, M73 and M77. Pre-pandemic over 2.06 billion vehicles miles were travelled in the area through 6.85% of traffic on major roads. • Rail – 24 passenger stations serve the Westcoast and Eastcoast mainlines, North Clyde line, Cumbernauld line, and Wishaw Deviation Line. There is good connections to both Glasgow and Edinburgh with the Mossend International Railfreight Park at Bellshill linking to the WCML and Freightliner’s Coatbridge terminal on the Motherwell to Inverness main line. 1.12 Transport emissions account for 47% of the North Lanarkshire carbon footprint (circa 1.2 million tco2e) and therefore the introduction of green hydrogen as dominant energy source for the area would assist the journey to net-zero and facilitate the decarbonisation of heat at point of use. 2. Report 2.1 This report examines the need for a firm plan of action that will contribute to large scale emission reductions within the organisation and in the area of North Lanarkshire in order to make good progress towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Improved Governance: Climate Change Board 2.2 There exists good collaboration between council services to facilitate and deliver climate action however it is complex and there remain barriers such as external policy drivers that create competing priorities as well as the need for more finance. In order to address this and enhance the council’s approach to climate change and carbon management, the Climate Change Group (CCG) has wound-up with the senior officer membership transferring to a newly formed Board. 2.2.1 The objectives of the Board reflect many Services’ priorities that directly or indirectly impact on climate change and sustainability, and these are: • Annual carbon reductions meet or go beyond annual reduction targets set within the Climate Plan ACT2030 • Existing or new partnerships facilitate carbon reductions and protection of biodiversity • All public buildings in North Lanarkshire will have zero emission heat requirements • The council’s housing stock is energy efficient and has low or zero carbon heat requirements • Reductions in waste emissions are maximised and recycling rates continue to improve • Greenspaces, woodland, and peatlands are protected • Minimal insetting is achieved via expansion of our woodland • Local energy and heat generation opportunities are maximised • Our procurement strategy is carbon-aware reducing embodied carbon and supporting the circular economy • Opportunities are provided to our school children to participate in climate action • Levels of fuel poverty are reduced in North Lanarkshire
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A national route map 2.2 Research carried out on behalf of the Scottish Government into public attitudes to climate change policy and a green recovery, showed that 79% of people surveyed believe climate change is a ‘immediate and urgent’ problem. They were also supportive of various policy levers and personal action in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The research was used to inform policy development which was thereafter included in the ‘Update to the Climate Plan 2018-2032’ in December 2020. 2.2.1 The update to the Plan set out Scotland’s routemap across a number of significant sectors (Appendix 3). Key expectations of this are2: • reduction in emissions within the electricity sector assisted by carbon storage o New financial support for energy technology innovation o Renewed focus on local and community energy projects o Increased offshored wind generation o New focus on jobs and supply chain to support a green recovery • 68% reduction in buildings related emissions o Heat in Buildings Strategy Use of green gas (hydrogen and biomethane) Local Heat and Energy Efficiency strategies Fuel Poverty targets • 41% reduction in transport emissions o By 2030 a 20% reduction in distances travelled by cars (including electric vehicles) o Increased uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles i.e. produce less than 75 grams of CO2 for every 1 Kilometre travelled • 43% reduction in industrial sector emissions o Use of carbon capture o Use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen o Development of negative emissions technology • 56% reduction in waste related emissions o Wide spread application of circular economy reducing waste including that of food o Biodegradable municipal waste to cease going to landfill o Ban on single use plastics. (This came into force on 1 June 2022). • Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) emission to increase by 283% o Peatlands included within carbon accounting o Peatland restoration o Woodland creation • 24% reduction agriculture sector emissions o Rural policy development o Enhanced advisory service o Amended conditions for support payments o Low-carbon farming interventions • Negative Emissions Technology o Research into large scale application o Development of demonstrator projects Planning North Lanarkshire’s journey to net-zero 2 Extract from SPICe briefing on ‘Update to the Climate Plan – Key Sectors’
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2.3 The delivery of some of the key expectations mentioned above will require the council to develop partnerships with the private sector as well as develop finance models to support the resulting actions. The national policy levers combined with the Services’ actions form an initial skeletal routemap for the council’s journey to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions e.g.: • Decarbonisation of heat in our buildings • Meeting EESSH2 in our social housing stock • Reducing fuel poverty to 5% of households or below • Ban on biodegradable waste to landfill by 2025 • Phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles • Decarbonisation of procurement • Nature based solutions in greenfield and brownfield sites • Develop of EV Charging Strategy. 2.3.1 The proposed development of an ECO park to replace the existing fleet and waste depot in Bellshill, is an example of embracing the net-zero challenge and developing a contributory action. 2.3.2 The cost of energy impacts on the finances of the council and other sectors, and will affect the local economy, with SMEs particularly challenged in the meeting of these significantly increased costs. It is likely that this will also have a detrimental impact on local employment rates. North Ayrshire have since the inception of the now-failed Our Power looked to generate energy with a view to benefiting through reduced reliance on the grid, therefore greater energy security as well as further decarbonisation of energy at source and having a financial income stream. There are issues they must overcome such as selling on their energy within the national energy framework. Their current activity within this area will act as a pathfinder for other local authorities as they develop their renewable capability. Procuring assistance 2.4. Defining the best course for North Lanarkshire to take in order to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions sits out with the normal skill set of the council. 2.4.1 The council’s climate change activity needs to expand and address issues such as improving its climate resilience and energy security through the planning and development of local energy parks and microgrids. These types of projects would also assist the council in realising opportunities to generate income such as selling energy to the national grid. The council must explore the use of technology to develop resources such as green hydrogen. The failed ventures of other councils who have become Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) however illustrates the risk of the council itself embarking as an energy supplier. 2.4.2 The council needs to acquire the expertise to limit risk and facilitate wider climate action and related activity. It is therefore proposed that external expert professional advice is sought, to ensure overall best value for the Council and North Lanarkshire is obtained. This professional advice will partner with the council’s dedicated resource3 to take forward the net zero ambition and thereby forming an ‘energy’ partnership for North Lanarkshire. 3 Such as, but not exclusive to, the Climate Lead Officer and the revised post of Service Delivery Manager (Waste & Fleet)
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2.4.3 The Climate Change Board will consider how to take this forward with a view to incorporating within the next phase of the Programme of Work review. Future updates on progress will continue to be provided to this Committee. 3. Measures of success 3.1 A routemap to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions is established 3.2. Annual reductions in carbon emissions are achieved within the organisation and in the area of North Lanarkshire 3.3. Local green energy generation is increased 3.4. A net-zero and climate resilient North Lanarkshire 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 List of Scottish Local Authorities’ Declarations and Climate Target Appendix 2 Consolidated Climate Actions Appendix 3 Scottish Government Routemap extracted from the Update to the Climate Plan 2018-2032 James McKinstry Head of Asset & Procurement Solutions
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts have been discussed and agreed with Financial Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? At this point the author is aware that there will be financial impacts however this will be further explored by the new Climate Change Board 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts have been discussed and agreed with People and Organisational Development? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts have been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? At this point the author is aware that there will be legal impacts however this will be further explored by the new Climate Change Board. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk
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Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for technology, has an assessment been carried out (or scheduled) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The proposed energy partnership will aim to achieve the council’s net-zero ambition and ensure that statutory targets are met. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Climate Change is contained within the corporate risk register.
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Appendix 1 List of Scottish Local Authorities’ Declarations and Climate Target Local Authority Climate Emergency Declaration Climate Target Specified (Net-zero emissions or carbon neutral) Applied to Council Area Wide Aberdeen City Council Yes 2045 √ Aberdeenshire Council No 2045 √ √ Angus Council Yes - - - Argyll & Bute Council Yes 2045 √ City of Edinburgh Council Yes 2030 √ Clackmannanshire Council No - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Yes - Dumfries & Galloway Council Yes 2025 √ Dundee City Council Yes 2045 √ East Ayrshire Council No 2030 √ 2045 √ East Dunbartonshire Council Yes 2045 √ East Lothian No 2045 √ East Renfrewshire Council No 2040 √ Falkirk Council Yes 2030 - - Fife Council Yes 2045 (Fife have a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan in place for the area of Fife) √ Glasgow City Council Yes 2030 √ Inverclyde Council No - Midlothian Council No 2030 √ North Ayrshire Council No 2030 √ North Lanarkshire Council Yes 2030 √ √ Orkney Islands Council Yes - Perth & Kinross No 2045 √ Renfrewshire Council No 2030 √ Scottish Borders Council Yes 2045 √ Shetland Islands Council Yes - South Ayrshire Council No 2045 √ South Lanarkshire Council No -
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Local Authority Climate Emergency Declaration Climate Target Specified (Net-zero emissions or carbon neutral) Applied to Council Area Wide Stirling Council Yes - The Highland Council No 2025 √ The Moray Council Yes 2030 √ West Dunbartonshire Council Yes 2045 √ West Lothian Council No No target
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Appendix 2 Consolidated Climate Actions Asset & Procurement Solutions Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation APS1 Generate on site a minimum of 10% of a community hubs energy demands. The council’s construction requirements will stipulate that a minimum of 10% of community hubs anticipated energy demands will be generated on site. The action will be incorporated within the budget of new build community hub programme of £236.829m 2022 2025 / 2026 A&PS Increase in KWh of onsite generation (Electricity or Heat) Baseline average: 8% Site Electricity Gas Solar Biomass Total % renewable Cumbernauld HS 722,495 3,033,955 28,662 1,254,928 5,040,039 25% Greenfaulds HS 605,440 1,533,854 455,084 2,594,378 18% CVHS 569,269 2,313,283 187,020 3,069,572 6% St Dominic's PS 59,645 231,004 9,424 300,073 3% St Edwards & Tollbrae PS 169,051 523,045 692,096 0% Hilltop PS 115,151 1,580,181 1,695,332 0% APS2 Orbiston community hub will be an all- electric solution for heat and power. Orbiston community hub will be an all- electric solution for heat and power thereby removing the use of natural gas from the council’s requirements. 2022 2025 / 2026 A&PS Demand (kWh/m2): 67 – 83 Emission reductions achieved from change of source i.e. gas to electric. APS3 Community hub projects energy (heat and power) consumption target to be less than 100Kw/m2/annum 2022 2025 / 2026 A&PS Emission reductions achieved through incorporating limiting consumption in the design of building. Demand < 100Kw
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation The councils ACRs will set the requirements for targeted energy consumption APS4 Energy efficiency Improvements in the Corporate Estate Works undertaken via NDEEF to reduce carbon emissions from buildings such as schools, offices, sport centres etc. Waste products arising from works will be recycled where appropriate. Proposed measures are lighting upgrades, BEMS optimisation, solar panels and reinstating existing CHP engines. £5m capital + Salix monies (including £200k for BEMS) 2022 2025 / 2026 A&PS Financial Savings £400k (estimate) Reduction in kWh in grid electricity and gas use: 2022/23 NDEE forecast Increase in money spent directly on carbon reduction measures APS5 BEMS installs in council buildings (schools, offices buildings, and community used buildings) Installation of heating controls in 11 NLC schools and remote access 2021 2022 A&PS Contribute to composite reduction in kWh consumption and associated carbon emissions. Financial Savings £19k (estimate)
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation to provide improved centralised control of heating systems APS6 Implement the Energy Policy The policy sets out commitment to reduce energy consumption by 3% annually. This will be achieved through reduction in temperature setpoints, increase of renewable generation and implementation of a heating season (Turning heating off over the summer period) - 2021 (Dec.) continuous A&PS Contribute to composite reduction in kWh consumption and associated carbon emissions. (Baselined 2021/22*4): Electricity & Gas 3% annual reduction Water 3% annual reduction APS7 Implement a Utilities monitoring database Implementation of a database to store all NLC utility invoices, validation of invoices and improving data quality. Utilisation of data to better benchmark building performance. £100k 2022 2027 A&PS Contribute to composite reduction in kWh consumption and associated carbon emissions. 4 *Baseline will be made available as it is collated for annual report
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation APS8 Sustainable Procurement Ensure that the council meets its responsibilities in terms of sustainable procurement promoting ‘reduce, recycle, reuse’ including the disposal of items 2022 continuous A&PS Incorporated within working procurement practices with a view to continuous review APS9 Sustainable Procurement Evidence the council’s compliance with the sustainable procurement duty of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 within the annual report 2022 annual A&PS Annual report provides account of compliance with the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 APS10 Enterprise Contract impact on Climate Change. Ensure that the Enterprise Contract fully meets the requirement of Section 9 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 by limiting unnecessary emissions, supporting a circular 2022 onwards EP Project Team & Service Area Sustainability Procurement Duty metrics will be incorporated within tendering process and in contract monitoring.
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation economy and where possible negating negative environmental impacts. APS11 NLC’s response to the climate and biodiversity emergency. Continue to lead the development of the council’s overall climate strategy and ambition - 2016 2030 A&PS Influence positive climate action APS12 Develop a climate engagement strategy Achieving area wide net zero emissions will require all stakeholders to engage in this area. The strategy will be the framework to communicate this. 2022 2023 A&PS Increase in public awareness and buy-in to climate agenda APS13 Continue to participate in NLP ACT Now The community planning partnership ‘North Lanarkshire Partnership’ ACT Now group is a forum for public 2021 continuous A&PS Increase in partnership working, knowledge and resource sharing
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation bodies, universities and New College Lanarkshire, third sector and other interested parties to share information and update on progress of their own activities. APS14 Create an online carbon/ climate literacy training module In partnership with TOD establish a basic training module for staff and elected members 2023 A&PS Increase in staff awareness of impacts on of behaviours and actions on climate Improved carbon impact reporting within internal reports APS15 Develop a NL response to Fuel Poverty Ensuring that our staff and partners maximise the use of referrals to HES and effectively address the causal factors of fuel poverty: poor energy efficiency (building and occupant); Cost of energy (encourage fuel switching); household income. - 2022 2040 A&PS Council decisions do not negatively impact on household finances nor energy costs of households. Fuel Poverty levels continue to reduce
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation APS16 Develop a LHEES for NL Lead/participate in the development of a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy 2022 Dec 2023 A&PS, BS, P&R Strategy is produced and adopted by December 2023
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Housing Property & Projects Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation HPP1 Within the council’s housing stock continue to increase the number of homes that meet EESSH2 To meet the EESSH set for social housing by improving the energy efficiency of domestic buildings. This will be achieved by a fabric first approach and supported by high efficiency heating systems and enhanced where possible with the use of renewable technology. Funding of £114.8m in place and approved within the HRA 5 year capital plan (21/22 – 25/26). There is an additional £32.5m that can be drawn down for EESSH works 2020 2032 HP&P Annual EESSH indicators to Scottish Government Fuel poverty reductions (social figures) as measured by Scottish House Condition Survey All council properties will either pass EESSH2 or be an abeyance, subject to available funding. HPP2 Beyond EESSH 2 including PV’s Scottish Government has set a target of Net Zero for 2045 which includes housing. This will be achieved by greater insulation, renewable technology, insulated doors, windows. £2bn 2023 2030 HP&P Consistent reduction in energy requirements based on SAP calculations. Increase in the use of renewable technology Potential to reduce fuel poverty, although this is dependent on fuel price increases Date of 2030 for full Net Zero compliance is considered not feasible at this time based on likely available funding to that date. Further report currently commissioned looking at costs to meet Net Zero Target by 2045. HPP3 North Lanarkshire Council/Social £7.5m 2022 2025 HP&P Reduction in energy requirements based on SAP calculations and increase in EPC banding.
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation Housing Net Zero Heat Joint Funding Project BISF house type upgrade: fabric first which includes EWI and solar panels. (£275,500 part funding from SG for 21/22) - further submission for majority of remaining addresses submitted May 2022 Potential to reduce fuel poverty, although this is dependent on fuel price increases Environmental Assets Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation EA1 Green Growth Accelerator SG funded development of a full business case for the Green Park Green power project installing a WSHP and solar array at SCP to generate green energy to offset our current usage and creating a third floor to the WSC to accommodate education use without portacabins. £80,000 Oct 2021 Apr 2022 EA Business Case developed for local energy system to support Strathclyde Park energy needs EA2 Cycle Facilities hub at Bellshill £1 million June 2021 Sept 2022 EA Increase in local residents cycling within the Bellshill / Strathclyde Country Park Area
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation Creating a new set of cycle facilities which have the potential to create a modal shift EA3 Wildflower Planting Areas identified within Country Parks where current short mown amenity grass could be converted to wildflower meadow TBC Nov 2021 Nov 2025 EA Increase in wildflowers in greenspace areas EA4 Kilsyth Flood Protection Scheme Implementation Following assessment to implement measures within the Kilsyth catchment to provide resilience to a 1 in 200 flood, provides new walking routes around the marsh TBC TBC Fea sibil ity Stu dy com plet ed Detai led desig n to be com missi oned EA Improved resilience to seasonal and intense rainfall events EA5 Dumbreck & Garrell River Re-Meandering Project joint funded by NLC & SEPA Project to provide significant biodiversity Est £4.5 million 2020 2022 EA Future protection of local biodiversity and restoration of natural flow of the Garrell River
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation improvement to the Dumbreck & Garrell in Kilsyth EA6 Active Travel Routes Developing and implementing Active Travel routes in line with the Councils Active Travel Strategy approved in August 2021 – Multiple Projects TBC Augu st 2021 continuou s EA Residents and commuters encouraged to make a shift from travelling by car to either walk, cycle or wheel. Contribute to the 20% reduction target in on road car travel by 2030 EA7 Clyde Climate Forest NLC planting a tree for every child in P7, creating 3 new forests across NLC, contributing to the Clyde Climate Forest £100k Octo ber 2021 May 2022 EA Contribute to the Glasgow City Region Adaptation & Mitigation Plan Improved climate resilience via increased shade within the local authority area Business Solutions Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation BS1 Home working support / Hub working support Working jointly with Asset & Procurement to support home working and the use of hubs in line with the approved Leadership/Operating Model, BS can significantly reduce council emissions Dec 2021 continuous BS Building and transport emission reduction (minus additional staff home emissions) CO2te
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation from its own building stock BS2 Support the digital delivery of services By supporting the digital delivery of services office space and customer travel can be reduced lowering building and transport emissions 2019 1/3/23 BS Building and transport emission reduction (minus additional staff home emissions) CO2te BS3 Business Solutions leading on specific corporate carbon / climate initiatives: Update of Strategic Policy Review & Update to corporate Project Management Model Strategic Policy Review and Corporate Project Management Mode will seek to reduce council’s carbon footprint and ensure it is prepared for impacts of climate change. Ongoi ng March 2022 BS BS4 Support for specific projects that enable carbon reductions to be made: National Entitlement Card - Ongoi ng January 2022 BS Increase in KM travelled by public transport // Reduction in Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide from travel (on road emissions)
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation Free Bus Travel for under 22s Enabling roll-out of card will allow more travel to take place using public transport and reduce emissions from private vehicle use BS5 Develop protocol to re-use, refurbish and recycle /recycled content of IT equipment Re-using IT equipment and refurbishing IT equipment will reduce purchases of new equipment (thereby reducing the use of resources and energy in the manufacture and supply of equipment) and reduce equipment that is scrapped (reduce waste). Minimum standards for the equipment to be re-used within council Ongoi ng BS Number of items refurbished / recycled // Tonnes of carbon dioxide BS6 Energy efficient software Jan 2022 Mar 2022 BS Kw/co2Te
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation Undertake review of balance between security needs and energy efficiency software options to define and agree acceptable trade- offs and potential solutions ensuring the risks to business continuity and security are fully identified and agreed BS7 Staff Training Roll out of council training and delivery of tailored training to BS staff will assist in reducing energy consumption, emissions, raw material consumption and waste. Jan 2022 KW/KM/Carbon Dioxide/Tonnes of Waste BS8 Reduce printing Work with staff to ensure that printing is a last resort – ensure equipment and software supports printing as a last resort – this will reduce raw material Reduction in Paper consumption (sheets)
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation consumption and waste production BS9 Staff Awareness Raising Raise awareness and give staff skills & knowledge to work and live more sustainably: Energy use in home Energy Use in office Reduced emissions associated with travel (work & non- work) Janu ary 2022 Survey of staff awareness (conducting on a regular basis) BS10 Green energy – use by suppliers Work with suppliers to ensure green energy is used in the provision of services to the council including where cloud solutions are being provided to the council KW /Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide BS11 Purchasing of equipment: • Minimum energy rating • Minimum recycling content KW/Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide/Tonnes of Waste
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation Requiring equipment purchases to have a specific (and rising over time): Recyclable content Energy Rating BS12 BS staff mileage reduction Ascertain staff mileage and examine ways to reduce this through the use of video calls / conferences, combining journeys and the use of other transport modes – this will reduce transport- associated emissions, local air pollution and traffic congestion Apr 2022 Mar 23 KM travelled / Litres of Fuel/Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide BS13 BS staff travel – prioritise “green options” including use of electric pool cars, etc. Where staff travel must be undertaken prioritise the use of “green options” including the use of electric pool cars Apr 2022 KM travelled (by method of transport) / Litres of Fuel/Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation BS14 Climate Resilience – Staff Train staff on climate resilience – how to keep cool when working (at home, in an office, when travelling, etc.), and how to be ready for climate change effects such as increased storms, downpours, etc. (impact on travelling, etc. Apr 2022 Dec 2022 BS15 IT equipment & Infrastructure Ensure that current and new IT equipment and infrastructure is resilient to climate change – this will include ability to work in higher temperature environments. Ensure that key equipment such as servers, data servers and networks used by the council are resilient to climate change impacts Dec 2021 Dec 2022
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation BS16 Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Update Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Plan to include climate change impacts including heatwaves, flooding and increased frequency and severity of storms. Ensure that current BCP and DR actions will still be achievable in the event of aforementioned events Jan 2022 Mar 2022 BS17 Supply chain Ensure that supply chain is resilient to climate change – work with suppliers to assess their climate change resilience to ensure continuity of supply / service Jan 2022 Dec 2022
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Regulatory Services and Waste Solutions Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation RSWS1 Remote Building Standards Verification for site inspections Introduction of remote verification technology to reduce the number and frequency of site visits. Live video links, for example, providing the opportunity to complete necessary site verification whilst supporting a home working approach to service delivery £10,000 (Scottish Government Funding) Mar 2022 RS&WS Reduced transportation costs Increased engagement with industry partners and Scottish Government. The action is aimed at raising awareness of digital technology options and green and efficient practices RSWS2 Move from paper-based warrant approvals process to paperless option Fully developing and implementing a digitised approach to the approval of building warrant plans. The action will offer customer a seamless end to end digitised building warrant customer experience Mar 2022 Harnessing the potential of Digital Technology to deliver environmentally friendly processes whilst providing an efficient and customer friendly service RSWS3 Optimised Routing of Waste vehicles with in-cab technology Improved efficiency of waste collection routes, to reduce mileage and increased efficiency £225,000 (est) 2022 2026 Will reduce the total mileage travelled and subsequent fuel usage by collection vehicles Reduction in emissions RSWS4 Electrification of fleet Phased replacement of fleet vehicles to electric £250,000 TS Grant 2021 2027 324,099 litres of diesel (TBC tco2e) Increase in EV in NL Reduction in fuel related emissions
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation £2.2m capital expenditure Reduction in council’s footprint Improved air quality at fleet depot Planning and Regeneration Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation PR1 New Build – Energy Efficiency Performance To increase the average Energy Performance Certificate rating for all NLC new build homes, in terms of energy efficiency and environmental ratings. Baseline as at 2019/20 was Energy Efficiency (B, 85) and CO2 (B, 88) 2021 2030 P&R Fabric first approach to reducing energy demand. Will include enhanced insulation, solar PV generation, alternative heating systems etc. Where appropriate, battery storage to maximise use of energy created via solar generation. Reduced fuel costs for tenants. Reduction in emissions related to new build stock. Improved thermal efficiency in NLC new build homes. PR2 New Build – EV Charging Availability To increase the number of EV charging points available for use within council new build developments. This includes EV points to individual homes and EV pillars within parking courts. Baseline at 2020/21 was 4 charging points Twin socket charging pillar (circa. £14k) Single charging point to property (£tbc) Incorporated within unit cost of property 2021 2030 P&R Reduction in litres of fossil fuels utilised, as more people replace petrol/diesel with electric Potential energy savings when EV charging linked to PV solar generation within homes Reduction in air pollution levels, as more people replace petrol/diesel with electric vehicles Reduced infrastructure costs for tenants utilising electric vehicles PR3 New Build – Nature Based Solutions Increase provision of biodiversity within the council’s new build programme. Desire to create more green corridors and wildlife friendly communities, where appropriate 2021 2030 Improved air quality and potential for reduced emissions (by introducing carbon sinks). Maximising use of undevelopable areas of sites. Prevent wildlife loss and hopefully enhance habitats for certain species. Improved mental health outcomes for residents.
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation PR4 New Build – Reduced Carbon Emissions on Construction Sites Move towards use of carbon neutral tools and vehicles on construction sites. Electric tools and vehicle use would be encouraged for all contractors working on NLC new build sites 2021 2030 Reduction in litres of fossil fuels utilised by contractors for site activity. Reduction in emissions related to construction site activity. Potential savings for contractors via cheaper running costs for electric tools and vehicles. Increased use of carbon neutral tools. Improved health outcomes for construction workers PR5 Delivery of Business Events Initial ACT2021 Business Event directed at local business to raise awareness of the need to move towards net zero business practices. Feedback from businesses will inform the content of future events, developed to provide practical advice and support 2021 2030 Record of events and attendees. Feedback via exit questionnaire. PR6 Partnership working with Zero Waste Scotland and Energy Saving Trust. Optimise resources available for SMEs from Zero Waste Scotland and Energy Saving Trust in the form of information, expert help and practical assessments of business. 2021 2030 Keep updated with ZWS and EST on current support and advice routes available for SMEs. Ensure Enterprise Development Team refer suitable companies to ZWS/EST and that NL businesses secure a share of the funding an expert help available. Spreadsheet of referrals and outcomes prepared. PR7 Low Carbon Support for SMEs Business Gateway Low Carbon Expert Help. Support of 1-3 days delivered by an £30,000 to support up to 17 SMEs 2021 2023 Funding for projects with 17 SMEs. Economic Development team will raise awareness of funding and support available to their companies. Project uptake monitored.
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation expert on efficiencies, energy control, low energy, sustainability, production processes, waste management, reviewing and planning and Net Zero Carbon targets PR8 Grant Funding for Net Zero Projects Business Recovery and Growth Fund has the key areas : encouraging the adoption and integration of green technologies and low carbon products, processes or services and supporting the transition to a zero-carbon economic model and facilitate sustainable change. Grants available up to £20,000 per company 2021 Records maintained of nature of the project and project value. PR9 Glasgow City Region – Delivery of Regional Economic Strategy (RES) and action plan on climate change Contribution to Delivery of key Programmes in RES such as Clyde Mission, Housing retrofit, EV infrastructure, Green Business Support, Green Demonstrator Programme Dec 2021 2030 By 2030, the Region will have the most advanced city-region economy in the UK in the race to net zero and climate resilience - Monitoring framework to be established during development of detailed action plan. Metrics/indicators will be programme specific (regional and local level) PR10 GCR Sustainable Procurement Strategy – Objective 5 SPS Objective 5 - Mitigating the impact to Climate Change. Maximise use of procurement 2021 2030 Reduce carbon emissions Embed SG sustainable procurement guidance and tools in GCR and NLC procurement. Sustainable supply chains, suppliers meet net zero objectives.
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation to support transition to net zero emissions, reduce supply chain disruptions and work with supply chains to incentives climate resilience, mitigation efforts and build capacity PR11 NL City Deal Infrastructure Programme Application of Scottish Governments Sustainability Test and Carbon Management Guidance into Business cases, design, procurement, and implementation on whole life basis. Fully integrate Active Travel into proposals Support Sustainable travel and 20 min neighbourhoods 2021 2026 To significantly reduce the impact of infrastructure projects moving to net zero approach. Individual metrics will be established at a project level PR12 CARES research Joint, match funded research project with Local Energy Scotland to consider the comparative impacts of installing renewable heat technologies in refurbishment and new build developments. This will compare costs and impacts on tenants of two housing projects. £35k 2021 2023 Research project complete and lessons learned report for future policy and practice PR13 Enabling the repurposing of historic buildings Reducing embodied carbon by repurposing (and 2021 2030 Project completion, number of homes completed
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation improving the energy efficiency of) historic buildings, beginning with Kildonan Street, Coatbridge, Motherwell Old Town Hall and Motherwell YMCA. PR14 Surface water discharge offsetting Consultants commissioned to explore options and make recommendations for an innovative surface water discharge offset scheme which will enable sustainable town centre development. £75k 2021 2023 Proposal developed for Scottish Water consideration PR15 Redevelopment of Braidhurst Industrial Estate Energy efficient retrofit of Braidhurst Industrial Estate to ensure its long-term sustainability and to reduce carbon emissions. Subject to securing external funding this will include the creation of ten new energy efficient start-up units fuelled by on-site microgeneration £2.2m 2022 2024 Development complete; carbon savings from retrofit of existing buildings (tbc from pre- and post- monitoring); on-site energy generation (tbc) PR15 EV Charging Two pilot sites (at Braidhurst Industrial Estate and in Wishaw town centre) identified with solar PV canopies providing energy to supply EV charging. £14k per twin charging pillar (No tbc) EV charging facilities installed; targets for use tbc PR16 Active Travel Km track laid; active travel journeys undertaken; active travel hubs developed
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation Working with colleagues to deliver Active Travel infrastructure, hubs and feasibility studies. This includes enabling the Ravenscraig Active Travel Link and Bellshill Cycle Hub by administering/securing funding and delivering NL’s first Active Travel Hub in Motherwell PR17 Environmental Key Fund (EKF) Application to the EKF to support energy related projects in the Shotts, Allanton, Bonkle and Hartwood areas. Currently developing proposal to directly fund fuel poor households living in private sector homes to reduce carbon emissions and fuel poverty. Proposal for three year programme distributing up to £50,000 per annum with scope to increase this by 100% £ administered; EKF Fuel Poverty project launched PR18 Green Growth Accelerator (GGA) pathfinder Delivering GGA-funded redevelopment of Strathclyde Park to include on-site generation and energy efficient retrofit of the Watersports Centre. Subsequent phases of the project may establish District Heat Network for North Motherwell Current estimate £16m (£10m grant funded); £120,000 secured for design work and developing business case TBC, likely start during 2022/23 and end 2024/25 Business case submitted to secure GGA funding; project completed; carbon savings
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation PR19 Local Development Plan 2 Produce Local Development Plan 2 in line with the requirements of the Development Plan Regulations and in compliance with NP4. NPF4 and the National Planning Policy Handbook (therein) will be part of the Development Plan and therefore Planning Policy. Unclear at moment as Regulations not developed but compilation of evidence base, consultations processes and Examination will run well into six figures will- 2022 2027 Greenfield sites protected Use of brownfield sites, including for renewables. New policies on biodiversity protection (no metric available), and whole life carbon costing. Housing Solutions Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation HS1 Non gas heating approaches Adopt as standard non-gas heating approaches for new council homes (See all PR1) Target date 2024/25 continuous P&R New council homes will be built to increased energy efficiency standards and will require to adopt non gas heating alternatives, resulting in energy savings Further research to be undertaken to identify costs associated with transition to low carbon heating alternatives Average CO2 emissions per home (reduced) – council new build Approach and process developed HS2 Renewable Energy Installations Integrate approach to procuring and maintaining renewable energy installations 2023 P&R or HP&P Savings potentially in an integrated approach for the council which may have an impact for tenants Technical specifications and process developed for technical solutions
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation (See PR1 & HPP2) HS3 Low and net zero heating transition costs Develop understanding of whole life costs and issues associated with the transition to low and zero carbon heat on the council and its tenants (See PR1 & HPP2) 2024 P&R or HP&P Improved understanding will assist remove or mitigate any adverse financial impact associated with transitioning to low/zero carbon emission heating systems Evaluation Report produced HS4 District Heat Zones Investigate opportunities for district heat zones (See associated action APS17) 2023 P&R, HS, A&PS District heating offers a low carbon solution for heating homes, businesses and buildings in North Lanarkshire District heating can reduce fuel poverty and have been cited to also reduce housing management costs (energy savings trust) Options Report HS5 GCR Retrofit Programme Route Map We will work with our GCR partners to carry out a feasibility study to outline a clear route map to successfully deliver the large scale retrofit programme 2024 HP&P Savings achieved through fabric first, deep retrofit approach combined with high efficiency low carbon heating systems Financial savings to tenants but also significant cost implications for housing providers Route map developed (for housing) HS6 Integrated skills employment programme To address the skills and meet the demands of the city Region new homes and green energy retrofit programmes we will develop an integrate skills employment programme for housing build and repair programmes in the GCR 2024 P&R Energy savings achieved through enhanced skills and capacity in the workforce and market to deliver energy retrofit Will eventually achieve financial savings for tenants, residents and housing providers through increased capacity and skills to deliver programmes Integrated skills employment programme developed
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Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation HS7 EESSH2 route map Develop route map for EESSH2 compliance (See HPP1) 2023 HP&P Increased energy savings associated with fabric first and high energy efficient heating system installation to council homes Savings for tenants, significant costs for the council Route map developed (for council housing) HS8 Private sector energy efficiency Enforce private rented sector energy efficiency regulations and engage with private landlords to improve compliance 2023 P&R Energy improvements in the PRS Savings for PRS tenants, potential costs for PS landlords PRS Strategy; improved energy efficiency in PRS; EPC ratings HS9 EES:ABS Manage Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme (EES:ABS) in North Lanarkshire ongoing HP&P Improved energy efficiency of homes through implementation of the scheme, fabric first approach Financial savings for tenants and residents Number of households assisted HS10 Low carbon heating impact Evaluate the impact of low carbon heating on tenants’ energy use and costs to ensure just transition 2025 HP&P Improved understanding will inform approach to ensure just transition and mitigate fuel poverty Evaluation report HS11 Energy efficiency and fuel poverty advice Improve energy efficiency and fuel poverty advice; improve our understanding of the extent, nature and location of fuel poverty to enable better identification of fuel poor households and target resources effectively (See APS16) HS, APS, HPP, FIT Energy efficiency improvements through improved access to advice and signposting Savings for tenants and residents through reduction in fuel poverty achieved from improved advice and signposting and understanding to inform approach Percentage of households in fuel poverty; percentage of households in extreme fuel poverty; median (adjusted) fuel poverty gap
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Education & Families Ref Action Budget Start Date End Date Owner/Lead Metric or Expectation A range of actions are under development and will be brought before Education, Children and Families Committee for approval.
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Appendix 3 Scottish Government Routemap extracted from the Update to the Climate Plan 2018-2032 Source 1: Update to the Climate Change Plan 2018-2032 - Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero (Dec 2020)
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Source 2: Update to the Climate Change Plan 2018-2032 - Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero (Dec 2020)