Appendix A - Climate Change Annual Report
Perth and Kinross Council · 4 December 2024
Back to Perth and Kinross Council — 4 December 2024 and its agenda
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[Year] Climate Change Annual Report YEAR 3 PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Appendix A Page 1 of 42
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Introduction This report highlights Perth and Kinross Council’s commitment to climate change and reports back on the delivery of third year of the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. This year we completed or are in finalisation of several of key pieces of work – our Mobility Strategy, our Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy coupled with our Local Area Energy Plan, our estate decarbonisation plans. These provide the necessary roadmap for our just climate transition. Complementarily, our organisational approach has also matured. Over the three years of the strategy delivery, our approach to tackling area-wide emissions has progressed from a ‘CDP D’ score to a CDP ‘A’ score. This was two years ahead of our target. We have started to see the impact of the delivery actions too. The introduction of twin stream recycling and transition away from landfilling waste has reduced PKC’s emission footprint by 31%, we have provided free home energy advice to over 2,205 households, and we have improved the energy efficiency of over 250 social homes. While we are making progress, we recognise there are still many challenges to overcome. To meet our statutory targets and organisational commitments, there needs to be an increase in pace and scale of action next year and years going forward. Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan The Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (CCSAP) was unanimously approved in December 2021 and then updated as part of the annual reporting process in November 2022. This report provides the update on PKC’s climate action, covering the third year of delivery, from October 2023 – September 2024. Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) in December 2022 recognised ‘Tackling climate change and supporting sustainable places’ a one of the key corporate priorities identified in the new Corporate Plan. This further strengthens PKC’s commitment to addressing the climate and ecological emergency, as outlined in its (CCSAP). The CCSAP is divided into long-term objectives, Council Commitments and eight thematic plans. Action Plans An action plan split into eight key climate action sectors updated annually Council Commitments 27 commitments by the Council necessary to achieve the outcomes Long-term Outcomes 6 overarching objectives Page 2 of 42
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Table 1 Objectives and commitments Perth and Kinross Council’s Climate Change Strategy 1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and the Scottish Government Targets, with the ambition of achieving them sooner. 2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross 3. Delivering a fair transition and a green recovery 4. Preventing an ecological emergency and enhancing biodiversity 5. Engaging and empowering our children and young people 6. Empowering our communities • Decarbonising our operations • Aligning our investments • Allocating appropriate capital and revenue funding • Delivering on our priority themes • Continuing to develop our base evidence • Reviewing our climate change plan annually • Demonstrating our collaborative working • Mainstreaming climate resilience into asset reviews • Managing climate change risks proactively • Assessing and reviewing the strategic climate risk assessment • Continuing to raise awareness with communities • Promoting land use practices that contribute to natural flood management • Taking action to reduce fuel, food and transport poverty • Ensuring climate action addresses rural and urban climate challenges • Improving the energy efficiency of social housing • Working with businesses to identify and address skills shortages to support the green economy • Declaring an ecological emergency, as well as a climate one, and sign the Edinburgh Declaration • Accelerating PKC biodiversity strategies and actions to keep pace with the UK and Scottish Government Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans • Strengthening our capacity to implement nature-based solutions • Monitoring the impact of a changing climate on our ecosystems and take appropriate action • Listening to our young people, encouraging them to have their say and acting on their views, ideas and priorities • Continuing to ensure the curriculum supports learning about climate change • Leading by example through, minimising emissions through best practice in energy, waste and transport • Utilising school grounds to promote biodiversity, food growing and healthy eating • Working in partnership with our residents, businesses and community partners to support them to make transformational change • Acting as an enabler for community-based climate change • Providing and signposting our communities to trusted sources of advice and funding Overarching Objectives Council Commitments Page 3 of 42
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Overall Highlights The Council has made noticeable progress this year against all six of our overarching objectives and 27 Strategic Commitments, the highlights of which are shown in Table 1. 1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and the Scottish Government Targets, with the ambition of achieving them sooner. • Developing of key decarbonisation strategies including our new Mobility Strategy (Transport) and the Local Area Energy Plan (Buildings & Energy) • Development of our Scope 3 Works, Purchased Goods & Services carbon emissions footprint to understand the full scale of the Council’s impact. We are one of the first local authorities in Scotland to have done this (Governance) • Achieving the prestigious CDP ‘A’ score for our approach to tackling area-wide emissions • The contract award and commencement of a long-term solution ahead of the ban on landfilling municipal waste. This has resulted this year in the diversion of approximately 39,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 11,868 tCO2e. (Waste & Circular Economy) 2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross • We screened all 865 of our road bridges for Scour potential and completed the detailed assessment for the ten bridges considered most likely to have scour issues have had a detailed scour assessment completed. (Resilience) • A contractor has been appointed to build the £40.8m Comrie Flood scheme designed to protect 189 homes and businesses. (Resilience) • Developing a plan to address the significant risk of Ash Dieback to Perth & Kinross. (Resilience) 3. Delivering a fair transition and a green recovery • Directly improving the energy efficiency of struggling households, using ECO4 Funding of £3.1M to install 506 individual measures. These measures contribute to the decarbonisation of privately owned properties across the wider Perth & Kinross area. (Buildings and Energy) • Green Business Grants - 22 businesses have been paid a total of £380,000 from the Capital Green Recovery Grant scheme (Business & Industry). • Publication of the Perth & Kinross Council Design Guide for New Build housing in November 2023 to help ensure high quality and energy efficient homes are delivered. (Buildings & Energy) • Hosting the Perth and Kinross Circular Economy Business Opportunities seminar in June 2024, part of progressing the development of a Circular Economy Plan for Perth and Kinross for low carbon transitioning and economic. (Waste & Circular Economy) 4. Preventing an ecological emergency and enhancing biodiversity • The Council funded a restoration plan for the lower South Quiech Catchment to address high phosphorus runoffs into Loch Leven. Page 4 of 42
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• With our Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) allocation, 18 projects were successfully delivered in Year 3 by both the Council and our communities. • Grassland management (Grow Wild) trial area has been expanded out to 157 sites within central Perth and Kinross for Year 1. • Biodiversity Towns and Villages – Our innovative Biodiversity Towns and Villages programme received UK Shared Prosperity Funding this year to enable expansion of the initiative to up to 20 new communities. 5. Engaging and empowering our children and young people • Hosting a successful third annual Youth Climate Conference in November 2024 (Education & Engagement). • Conducting Climate Change and energy workshops for kids in Madderty Primary School and Auchtergaven Primary School to encourage energy saving beyond retrofits through behavioural change and energy monitoring. • Developing a video on Madderty Primary School’s energy- saving journey and the transition from electric storage heating to heat pumps. The Video was shared across schools to build awareness. • Conducting school holiday Switch-off campaigns - Summer/October holiday switch-off posters were created and sent to all the schools to participate followed by energy audit and results poster shared across the schools. 6. Empowering our communities • Expanding provision of home energy advice services with our partner SCARF to over 2200 households this year and supporting numerous others to access funding sources. (Buildings & Energy) • Continuing to work with communities to explore innovative ways of delivering Public Transport, building on the award winning Glenfarg Community Bus project which has provided new travel opportunities for residents in the Glenfarg and Kinross-shire area (Transport) • Delivery of the PKC Green Living Fund, a Participatory Budgeting (PB) process to support projects that tackle both the Cost-of-Living crisis and Climate Change. £226k was distributed across 38 Community Groups. Climate Action Plan Progress Our Climate Action Plan for meeting our Strategic Commitments has 204 actions spread across the eight thematic areas. The status of these is shown in Figure 1. There is an improvement on September 2023, with nine actions moving out of the red category and 19 additional actions being completed (Note: a large portion of the actions are on-going or long multi-year actions so would not be expected to reach a complete status.) The Removed Actions are primarily actions that this year have been consolidated into other actions to ensure consistency in what is classified as a strategic or supporting action across all the themes. Page 5 of 42
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Figure 1 Full PKC CCSAP Action RAG Status as of 30 September 2024 To ensure that the most important actions were prioritised, the Council designated 25 top priority actions. These focus on achieving area-wide emissions reduction, the Council’s emissions reduction and building resilience to climate change. The overall progress of these actions is shown in Figure 2, with details of the progress of each action detailed in the relevant thematic section. Figure 2 Top 25 Priority Action RAG Status Challenges and barriers Several cross-cutting challenges or barriers applicable to the wider programme delivery have been identified: • Shifting and uncertainty of government targets and the associated regulatory requirements has an impact on the ability to align work and convince others to act. • The need to identify and unlock funding opportunities to ensure future targets are achieved, in an uncertain funding landscape. This often requires the Council to have developed projects to a ‘shovel ready’ stage prior to bidding and often only cover capital costs. This positively has started to change recently in recent funding schemes from IUK and others. 74, 36% 55, 27% 25, 12% 28, 14% 22, 11% Status of CCSAP 2023/24 Actions A G R Complete Removed 10, 40% 11, 44% 4, 16% Top 25 Actions RAG Status Green Amber Complete Page 6 of 42
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• Resource and skills gap within both the Council and wider supply chain to be able to scale up at pace to meet Net Zero targets. • Challenges in recruiting and retaining internal staff with the required skills, knowledge and experience has been time consuming and led to delivery delays. • Data timeliness and availability is a challenge to understand the effectiveness of our actions and make appropriate adjustments. Several of the key datasets have 1-2 year compilation windows. • How do we accelerate our pace of action and increase our scale of impact to meet the necessary targets, while dealing with the above challenges. In addition to these, specific challenges and barriers for each theme of the action plan are discussed in the relevant thematic section later in this report. Performance Seven high-level key performance indicators (KPIs) have been established to give an overview of the Council’s progress towards net zero. All KPIs showed year-on-year improvement. It should be noted that due to the lag of the data sources being published, the values for the first three KPIs are for 2022, the first year of the action plan, so reflect only limited changes due to implementation of the Climate Action Plan. Our performance data has highlighted is that while we are trending in the right direction, the need to accelerate the pace of action to remain aligned to the Paris Agreement and national targets. Table 1 2023 KPI Data KPI Target Current value % change over previous year Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas emissions (kt CO2e) 75% reduction on 1990 levels by 2030 and zero net emissions by 2045. 1258.2 (2022) 2.9% Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas per Capita emissions (t CO2e) 75% reduction on 1990 levels by 2030 and zero net emissions by 2045. 8.3 (2022) 1.2% Perth and Kinross Area-wide CO2 emissions (kt CO2e) 376kt CO2e by 2030 (75% reduction on 1990 levels) 707.6 (2022) 2.8% Perth and Kinross Council Scope 1,2, and 3 emissions (t CO2e) Net zero by 2045 27,947 (23/24) 31% Carbon Disclosure Project (City Score) ‘A’ by 2024 A (2023) B % of Climate Change Indicators showing positive change 100% 65% (23/24) 41% Climate Change Grant Funding secured (£k) No target set £3,263 (23/24) 185% Page 7 of 42
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Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas emissions (ktCO2e) Figure 3 shows recorded greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2022. This shows a 2.9% decrease in emissions year on year, which continues the downward trend since 2005, the first year comparative data is available. This matched the overall Scottish trend. There were decreases in Commercial emissions (19%), domestic energy emissions (13%). While some of this will be attributed to lasting property improvements and behavioural change, it is also partially attributed to affordability of energy linked to the 2022 energy and cost of living crisis. There was a 7.9% rise in transport emissions linked to further increases in travel and commuting post-Covid, but it is still below 2019 transport emissions levels. While emissions in 2022, the emissions continued to decrease we are still significantly above the estimated trajectory needed to reach Perth and Kinross Council target of 75% reduction by 2030 and currently we have achieved a 43% reduction on 1990 levels. It is important to note that as the Council’s climate change action plan was approved in December 2021, so any changes attributed to this plan are likely to only minorly be reflected in the data. 1 Note: as the Scottish government has not yet released the Perth and Kinross 1990 baseline for either the full suite of GHGs or CO2, a Perth and Kinross target figure for 2030 has been estimated for these Figure 3 GHG Territorial Emissions for Perth and Kinross, BEIS 20241 Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas per Capita emissions (tCO2e) As shown in Figure 4, since 2005, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Perth and Kinross have been steadily reducing since 2005, with the exception being 2021 (Covid recovery). This follows the trend for Scotland but have continued to remain higher than the Scottish average as would be expected for a local authority with a more rural population. two indicators assuming Perth and Kinross followed the Scottish trends1 between 1990 and 2005 when data first became available. Data is released by BEIS approximately 18 months after year end, so 2022 is the most recent data available. 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2005200720092011201320152017201920212023202520272029 Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas emissions (kt CO2e) actual 2030 75% emissions reduction target trajectory Page 8 of 42
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Figure 4 Per Capita GHG Emissions (BEIS, 2024) Perth and Kinross Area-wide CO2 emissions (ktCO2e) Figure 5 shows a steady reduction in recorded CO2 emissions from 2005 until the Covid recovery bump in 2021, back into a 2.8% decrease in 2022. With decreases similarly linked to commercial and domestic energy decreases as overall emissions. Emission levels are currently 19% higher than they would need to be on trajectory for a 75% reduction by 2030. Figure 5 Perth and Kinross CO2 emissions (BEIS,2024) Perth and Kinross Council Scope 1,2, and 3 emissions (tCO2e) As can be seen in Figure 6, in 2023/24 a carbon footprint of 27,947 tCO2e was recorded. This shows a 30.8% year-on-year decrease. This largely attributed to Scope 3 waste emissions linked with the introduction of twin-stream recycling and the new residual waste contract, but there were smaller decreases in Energy and Transport emissions. 0 5 10 15 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 tCO2e Per Capita Perth and Kinross territorial greenhouse gas emissions tCO2e Perth and Kinross Scotland 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 Perth and Kinross Estimated and Target CO2 levels (ktCO2e) Target CO2 levels Actual CO2 levels Page 9 of 42
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Since 2015/16, the Council has reported its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions as part of the statutory Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Compliance Reporting process and the emissions reported are as per those annual reports. There were no changes to the reporting scope for 23/24, but beyond this one year it is hard to compare emissions trends. Figure 6 Perth and Kinross Council Combined Scope 1,2 and 3 emissions Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) City Score PKC reached the illustrious ‘A’ ranking in 2023 (2024 data not yet released), one year ahead of target. The CDP City Score is an independently audited assessment of climate action progress to assist organisations in measuring and managing their risks and opportunities on climate change. In 2022, Perth and Kinross Council was assessed as having a city score of ‘B – Management level’. % of Climate Change Indicators showing positive change 65% of the Climate Change indicators show positive change. This is a significant improvement on Year 2, when only 46% showed positive impact. In addition, a further 6.1% not expected to change due to data publication timeframes. Climate Change Grant Funding secured (£k) In 2023/24 the Council secured £ 3.26M of Climate Change related grant funding. This is nearly double the £1.77M received in 2022/23. A significant percentage of this was the £2.36M from the Recycling Improvement Fund which enabled our Twin-Stream recycling transformation. Additional funding covered nature restoration, unlocking barriers to climate action, 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 Perth and Kinross Council Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (tcO2e) Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3 Page 10 of 42
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air quality improvements, energy efficiency improvements, active travel, etc. While there some uncertainty over the funding landscape, further efforts should be made to increase this amount to help meet our aspirations. Looking ahead We are looking forward to delivering Year 4 of the action plan. Due to the completion of several key strategies over Years 2 and 3, the focus of our work has shifted to delivery– trying to realise the quick wins, while also developing the strategic, shovel-ready projects. This will lead to a significant shift in resource requirements over the coming years. Much of this need the Council is currently not in a position to independently resource. External funding options – both traditional routes and innovative funding mechanisms will be explored to help us realise our ambitions. To ensure we are concentrating are efforts on the most important and impactful efforts, the Council has identified 25 Top Priority Actions for 2025. These have been selected to balance our need to address area-wide emissions, the council’s own emissions and the need to build resilience and adapt to future changes. Page 11 of 42
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Governance Strong climate change governance within the Council provides the necessary foundations for achieving our climate action ambitions and embedding climate action into business as usual within our operations. The 2023/24 PKC corporate restructure has provided clearer accountability and management responsibility for climate action. Our governance theme focuses on six key areas: • Accountability • Business and Performance Management • Decision Making • Finance • People • Procurement Highlights Highlights this year include: • Embedding climate change into the job family Behaviour Requirements for over 4,000 staff. PKC use the job family framework to identify Knowledge & Skills and Behaviours required for all non-education based roles in the Council. To monitor delivery on this, Climate Change and Biodiversity have also become embedded as a question of the new Performance and Development Discussion Framework. • Development of our Scope 3 Works, Purchased Goods & Services carbon emissions footprint to understand the full scale of the Council’s impact. We are one of the first local authorities in Scotland to have done this and have been sharing our learning with other public bodies as well as using the results to influence our action plan priorities. • Continued rollout of our Impact and Value Assessment Toolkit to enable early identification of climate change, sustainable development, equalities, finance and legal risks and opportunities. • Publication of our first Sustainable Procurement Strategy to help embed climate action and wider sustainability in our operations. Page 12 of 42
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Delivery The 2023/24 Action Plan identified 25 Governance Actions. As of 30 September 2024, 80% of the actions can be classified as Complete, Green or Amber in terms of progress. While Governance actions have a comparatively low resource need with respect to other thematic areas, there are several challenges linked to changing the culture, mindset, policies and procedures of a large organisation. These include staff capacity and prioritisation, appreciation of how climate action relates to a wider number of services and workstreams, as well as the lengthy processes involved in changing Council policies and procedures. Review of Top Priority Actions From PKC’s Top 25 climate priorities, three are associated with the Governance Theme as follows: Action No Action RAG Status Comments G2 Mainstream climate change into committee procedures and council operations Mainstream climate change into committee procedures and council operations G The introduction of the IVA will play a key role in mainstreaming climate change in the committee process. Additionally this year, we embedded climate mitigation and adaptation into the new Corporate Asset Management Framework. G7 Measure and develop action plan for our Scope 3 carbon footprint tackling single use items. Complete Footprint was completed in early 2024 and a briefing paper was taken to the CC&S Committee in October 2024. G20 Build capacity of procurement and contract management staff around ensuring climate change is appropriately considered in procurement and delivery processes A Sustainable Procurement Strategy was a necessary first key step, and all Procurement Staff will have completed Carbon Literacy Training by December 2024. Outcomes As Governance is an enabler to other delivery focused themes, it is more challenging to identify direct outcomes. However, two positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: • PKC being assessed as ‘A’ Grade by the CDP, one of only three local authorities in Scotland to Achieve this top grade. • Embedding climate change into key major contracts including the new Residual Waste Contract and the Cross Tay Link Road. Page 13 of 42
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Progress against Statutory Targets There are no statutory targets applicable to the Governance Theme. PKC has completed the statutory Public Bodies Climate Change Reporting Duty every year since 2015. Key Performance Indicators The Key Performance Indicators for Governance are shown in the table below. As indicated in the table – two new targets have been set. With contractual arrangements, it is not currently feasible to modify job profiles for school-based staff, so have been excluded from the target setting. KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Scope 3 Emissions – Procured goods and services and capital works 125,945 (2021/22) 152,126 (2022/23) On a three-year footprinting cycle so not yet calculated for 2023/24 % of Members and senior officers who have undertaken Climate Literacy training 21% Elected Member 18% ELT 42% Elected Members 13% SLT 100% of Elected Members by September 2023 Proposed to extend target to 50% of Strategic Leadership Forum by September 2025 and 100% by September 2026 % of staff who have climate change included in job description 1% (2022/23) 71% (2023/24) Proposed target: 100% of non-school staff (71% overall staff) Climate Change Assessment Tool (CCAT) Overall Score (%) 69% (2022/23) 71% (2023/24) 74% by 2024 85% by 2026 Performance improved, but below KPI target. Plan in place to get back on target in 2025. Looking ahead Our Scope 3 supply chain emissions are the largest emissions source for the council. As such, one of our main focuses for the year is delivering our Sustainable Procurement Strategy and embedding climate action into our procurement and contract management operations. Ensuring our leaders and decision makers fully understand the climate implications of their roles is important, so we will be focusing our carbon literacy training to reach elected members and our strategic leadership forum members. Two Governance Actions are within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • G2 Mainstream climate change into committee procedures and council operations • G22 Develop category strategies for high emission categories that consider climate change. Page 14 of 42
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Education & Engagement In 2023/24, the Education & Engagement theme has been strengthened through improved internal and external communication. This has been done through a mix of in-person and online events including networking such as the Staff Climate Café and Induction Markets, community events such as the Summer Biodiversity Market and training through the Carbon Literacy programme. Highlights Highlights this year include: • Continued roll-out of our Carbon Literacy programme with an additional 108 staff and 8 elected members now certified Carbon Literate. • Delivery of the PKC Green Living Fund, a Participatory Budgeting (PB) process that transferred the decision- making of how public money is spent to local people. The fund was themed to support projects that tackle both the Cost-of-Living crisis and Climate Change and £226k was distributed across 38 Community Groups. • Successful second annual Youth Climate Conference in October 2023, with 80 pupils from 9 local secondary school attending. The students expressed their worry and concern about climate action, but also that they were determined, optimistic and passionate about taking action. • Securing Phase 2 funding from Innovate UK to further explore rural transport challenges and to develop a retrofit one-stop-shop home retrofit service for Perth and Kinross in partnership with Nicki Souter Associates, the HEAT Project and University of Edinburgh. • Redevelopment of our Schools & Youth Engagement working group with the inclusion of teachers, a business manager and representatives working with young people not in education. Page 15 of 42
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Delivery The 2023/24 Action Plan identified 26 Education and Engagement Actions. As of 30 September 2024, 63% of the actions can be classified as Green or Amber in terms of progress. The main challenges associated with delivering Education and Engagement are: • Finding availability for elected members and senior officers to complete in carbon literacy training has been challenging. • Engagement levels across the wider learning estate are varied and further work is required to develop a more structured approach to climate related action. • Internal and external engagement and behaviour change with those less interested in climate change and/or with less capacity to engage due to other pressing issues. Review of Top Priority Actions From PKC’s Top 25 climate priorities, two are associated with the Education & Engagement Theme as follows: Action No Action RAG Status Comments E9 Review school operations and practices to ensure G The ECS contracts team added to schools sub- group; Practices to be our schools lead by example reviewed. Funding secured for a waste minimisation officer to have a dedicated focus on schools. E13 Deliver community and householder education and engagement G • Supporting Local Communities Team through the Green Living Fund application process • Continuing to engage via different mediums. • Supporting the setup of Climate Connect, the community climate hub for P&K. • Hosting summer biodiversity market in Civic Hall. • Sharing community events and information. • Enabling networking of groups in environment sector Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: • Securing of funding for Innovate UK Pathfinders Project (our share £53k) to engage and co-design community- based projects. Page 16 of 42
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• Over 2,000 members of the public voted to award money to 38 community projects through the Green Living Fund application process, helping to establish a new crop of climate based, cost-of-living projects. Progress against Statutory Targets There are no statuary targets related to our Education and Engagement Theme. Key Performance Indicators The Education and Engagement KPIs are shown in Table 2. Views on the webpage and social media were down year-on- year linked to reduced staff capacity for engagement during 23- 24 and prioritisation of staff on project delivery. Table 2 Education and Engagement KPIs KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Views on Climate Change Webpage 22,000 (2022/23) 15,900 (2023/24) Increase website reach by 10% annually (financial year) – 24200 by March 2024 Views on Social Media channels - Facebook 39,511 (2022/23) 35,600 (2023/24) Increase social media reach by 10% annually (financial year) – 43462 by March 2024 KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Views on Social Media channels - Twitter 16,300 (2022/23) 3,991 (2023/24) Increase social media reach by 10% annually (financial year) – Views on Social Media channels - Instagram 11,451 (2022/23) 6,655 (2023/24) Increase social media reach by 10% annually (financial year) – Number of community groups active on climate change related projects 140 (2022/23) 142 (2023/24) No target Number of PKC owned schools with eco-school’s green flag status 27 (2022) 27 (2023) Target of 45 schools by April 2024 Staff who have completed the climate change eLearning module 1824 (2022) 1990 (2023) All staff (5111 FTE in 2023/24) Staff who have undertaken Carbon Literacy Training N/A 119 Year on year improvement Page 17 of 42
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Focus for upcoming year The focus areas for the upcoming year are: • Expand public engagement - Continue to utilise communication platforms and keep them up to date with relevant and engaging material. • Support the development and expansion of the Perth and Kinross Climate Change Commission (SHIFT) and Climate Hub. • Deliver community and householder education and engagement. Continue to find ways to engage existing and new audiences. Ensure multiple mechanisms are used, e.g. online, in-person, through community groups and organisations, through leaflets, videos and guides. • Develop an engagement plan and platforms for schools and young people. Continue building relationships with the school communities to embed Climate Change in the curriculum. Continue to give young people a voice via Youth Climate Conference and youth positions on SHIFT. • Continue to make links of co-benefits giving tangible results which benefit our communities. • Create and deliver one-stop-shop for home retrofit in Perth and Kinross - Continue with the appraisal of potential models for one-stop-shop and work to develop the local supply chain and green growth opportunities. Launch a PKC Knowledge Hub as part of IUK project ensuring it fits with requirement under LHEES. Two Education & Engagement actions are within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • E13 Deliver community and householder education and engagement. • E9 Review school operations and practices to ensure our schools lead by example. Page 18 of 42
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Energy & Buildings Energy makes up the largest share of PKC’s own direct emissions (44%) and 12% of Perth & Kinross’s overall emissions. Our work is focused on both the Council’s own domestic and non-domestic estate and helping our residents and businesses to decarbonise and drive the energy transition. Within the Energy and Buildings theme, work against the key themes identified within the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan has been progressing over the past year including: • Setting out the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) for the wider Perth & Kinross area • Improving energy efficiency in housing stock area wide • Developing a high-level decarbonisation plan for the Council’s Domestic and Non- Domestic estate portfolio • Progressing energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects using existing budget allocation. Highlights While good progress has been made across the wider theme, a few highlights of the year include: • Supporting over 2,205 households with free home energy advice and support for tenants and residents by working with SCARF; a new contract has been agreed that will continue this support to the end of March 2026. SCARF will also continue to provide support in delivery of programmes relating to HEEPS-ABS and ECO4. • ECO4 workstream delivering energy efficiency measures utilised ECO Funding of £3.1M and installed 506 individual measures. These measures contribute to the decarbonisation of privately owned properties across the wider Perth & Kinross area. • Completion, adoption and final publication of LHEES and LAEP documents in July 2024. Several delivery actions are already underway including the Heat Network Support Unit funded strategic Heat Network development, exploration of Strategic Energy Partner. These actions continue to support the detailed planning for decarbonising the Council’s Non- Domestic & Domestic estate. • Publication of the Perth & Kinross Council Design Guide for New Build housing in November 2023. • PKC allocated an additional £2M of capital funding to further accelerate the decarbonisation of our non-domestic estate. Works are progressing for several projects using this funding stream including a joint funded project with the Scottish Government's at Auchtergaven Primary School. This project involved replacing the oil-fired heating system with a new non-direct emissions air source heat pump. The project team secured £324.5k through the Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation fund. • Secured £100k of external funding for an 18 month Innovate UK project working in partnership with Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), Edinburgh University and the HEAT project to develop and deliver a decarbonisation toolkit. This project is of particular interest as it showcases the needs and benefits of public/private partnership working. • Completion and occupation of Perth and Kinross Council’s (and Scotland’s) first certified Passivhaus primary school - Riverside Primary School in North Muirton. Recent analysis Page 19 of 42
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has shown that the schools energy performance is currently 40 kWh/sqm/pa which is well below the energy target of 67 kWh/sqm/pa for core use. Construction is also underway for a further two Passivhaus projects for the replacement of Perth High School and Blairgowrie Recreation centre. Delivery The 2023/24 Action Plan identified 23 Energy and Buildings actions as of 30 September 2024. • 1 (4.3%) is Complete, • 6 (26.1%) are Green Status, • 12 (52.2%) are Amber status and • 4 (17.4%) are classified as Red. In terms of progress, 82.6% of the actions can be classified as Complete, Green or Amber. The main challenges associated with delivering the Energy and Buildings actions are: • To identify and unlock funding opportunities to ensure future targets are achieved. • Resource and skills gap within the supply chain to be able to scale up at pace to meet Net Zero targets. • Challenges in recruiting and retaining internal staff with the required skills, knowledge and experience. • Uncertainty due to changes in legislation not yet being agreed. Consultation on the replacement for EESSH2 – known as the Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS) and consultation on the Heat in Buildings Bill both closed in November 2023; and no further guidance has been provided at this time. Page 20 of 42
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Review of Top Priority Actions There were six Top Priority Actions for 2023/24 from the Buildings and Energy Theme. Action Number Action RAG Status Comments B1 Develop and deliver the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) G LHEES completed and adopted 27 November 2023; submitted for Scottish Government review and final version of LHEES and LAEP was published July 2024. Several delivery actions already underway including strategic heat network development, exploring a Strategic Energy Partner, establishing governance and digital publication of evidence B2 Develop and deliver a programme to ensure all existing Council houses are brought up to EPC B by 2032 G Draft Report on workstream was provided in August 2024. Review of report is ongoing and an Action Plan will be prepared. Pilot projects are being developed for two archetypes from the existing housing stock to trial potential measures to decarbonise these. The properties that have EPC's of Bands E & F (we have no Band G properties) have been split into categories and are being addressed; a proportion have had measures carried out but require updated EPC's; others require a single measure to achieve a Band D and others require more than one measure and are being programmed into the energy efficiency programme to install the measures required to upgrade the properties to EPC Band D. B11 Develop options, costs and funding avenues for PKC Estate Portfolios to reduce greenhouse gas emissions A Lot 4 work with ARUP is also covering the PKC non- domestic properties and information relating to these will be picked up through the reporting on this in November 2024. B12 All non - domestic buildings considered for refurbishment must have improved energy efficiency and performance, adopting the 'fabric first' approach and Complete This action is complete as the improved energy performance of refurbishment projects is a requirement for updated Scottish Building Standards, Heat in Buildings Bill and identified as part of the LOT 4 decarbonisation plan. Any Page 21 of 42
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incorporating non- direct emissions heat sources residual items have been adsorbed into other actions within the Buildings and Energy area of this Action Plan. B13 Develop and invest in local district heat/communal heat/electricity networks where viable which use alternative non- direct emissions heat sources A Strategic Heat Network Unit funding (Scottish Government) awarded to build a programme and work to support the procurement of a partner to deliver heat networks within a wider energy system to be delivered by May 2025. B21 Replace all Oil- fired heating systems with non- direct emissions heat source, A Secured £2M of internal funding which has been phased between 2023 to 2025 to undertake initial non- direct Emissions heat source projects. External SG funding has also been secured from Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation fund in 24/25. for one of these projects. 2 There was a refresh of EPC certificates at the same time, so the numbers may reflect some properties where the EPCs were just out of date. Outcomes The following positive outcomes as a result of Priority Actions include: • Over 3,500 households have received Council-funded free home energy advice over the first three years of the plan. • Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions within the Non-Domestic PKC estate, including a 22% reduction in heating oil used. • Reduction in number of PKC Domestic properties at EPC Bands E and F by over 200 and increase in properties with EPC Bands B and above by over 70 helping to reduce the energy burden on our tenants and residents2. Progress against Statutory Targets There are several statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Energy & Buildings theme as follows. I. 68% reduction in emissions from buildings by 2030 with respect to 2020 levels: needs acceleration - 24% reduction from 2020 levels, with a 0.4% reduction in 2023/24 from 2022/23 II. Decarbonisation of the Public Sector Estate by 2038: 13.2% reduction in 2022 from 2021 levels across all public bodies in Perth & Kinross (DESNZ, 2024). III. Social housing to be EPC D by 2026 and EPC B by 2032: on-track. Page 22 of 42
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• Increase in EPC Band B and above properties from 6.2% in 2022/23 to 7.07% of housing stock in 2023/24. • Decrease in EPC Bands E, F & G properties from 6.5% in 2022/23 to 3.9% in 2023/24. IV. Development of Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategies (Strategy & Delivery Plan) by end of 2023: this target has been met. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Total area-wide CO2 emissions from domestic sources (ktCO2e) 232.6 (2022) 253.4 (2021) Estimated 115 ktCO2e Based on 75% reduction in domestic emissions by 2030 in relation to 1990 levels Scope 1 and 2 emissions from Council Estate (tonnes CO2) 9,264 (2022/23) 9,226 (2023/24) Annual emissions of 4,396 tonnes CO2 by 2030 There was an increase in energy emissions factors this year that masks a decrease in energy consumption. Heating oil consumption in PKC non-domestic estate (kWh) 1,943,066 (2022/23) 1,806,372 (2023/24) All sites with oil as a heat source to be removed by 2030 Renewable energy generated across the PK estate, including from Low Carbon Heat Sources (MWh) 2226.43 (2022/23) 2381.08 (2023/24) Renewable energy shall be installed where feasible to maximise production % of Council housing meeting the Energy Efficient Standard 2 for social housing (minimum EPC B) 6.6 (2023) 7.07 (2024) EESSH2 standards of 100% of Council Housing to meet EPC B by 2032 Number of P&K households provided with energy efficiency and/or low carbon heating advice (PKC funded) 884 (2022/23) 2205 (2023/24) 2023/24 - 500 Target significantly exceeded Focus for upcoming year The focus for the upcoming year is the delivery of the actions in the plan that will include the following: • Transition LHEES delivery plan into focussed implementation of the actions. Page 23 of 42
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• Provide a detailed and costed decarbonisation plan for the Council’s Domestic and Non-Domestic Estate; plan should take into account lessons learned from pilot project delivery. • Comply with Heat Network Regulations and identify areas suitable for the development of heat networks, designating heat network zones (HNZ) where favourable. • Undertake statutory duty in relation to public sector non- domestic buildings and the compilation of Building Assessment Reports (BAR) in accordance with Heat Network Regulations. PKC has received external funding to help deliver our future work: • HEEPS-ABS grant funding award of £1.94M received from Scottish Government for 2024/25 for delivery of energy efficiency measures in Domestic privately owned properties. • CAN DO Green Heat Retrofit Innovation Challenge funding awarded by Scottish Enterprise to the value of £50k to undertake a Feasibility Study to develop a project for a pioneering green heat solution. • Strategic Heat Network Unit funding of up to £100,000 has been awarded by the Scottish Government to PKC to procure a partner to deliver heat networks. Five Buildings & Energy actions are within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • B2 Develop and deliver a programme to ensure all existing Council houses are brought up to EPC B by 2032 • B1 Transition LHEES delivery plan into focussed implementation of the actions • B11 - Develop options, costs and funding avenues for PKC Estate Portfolios to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. • B13 Comply with Heat Network Regulations and identify areas suitable for the development of heat networks, designating heat network zones (HNZ) where favourable. • B21 Replace all Oil-fired heating systems with non- direct emissions heat source, adopting a fabric first approach to reduce heat demand. Increase local energy generation and improve heating control systems. Page 24 of 42
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Transport Progress continues to be made with key transport related projects. Crucially, the Council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee approved the Council’s first Mobility Strategy and Action Plan on 23 October 2023. This provides a pivotal step in shaping the future of transportation and mobility in our area and offers a comprehensive proposal to guide the management and development of our transport network over the next 15 years, including contributing to achieving ambitious climate change related targets. Two of the fundamental Transport Planning Objectives of the strategy directly relate to taking Climate Action which will ensure that future actions and projects are appraised against these objectives. Figure 7 Mobility Strategy Priorities In addition to the completion of the Mobility Strategy, there continues to be ongoing work across the Council and through collaborative work with partners to deliver on key areas: • Increasing active transport across Perth and Kinross • Accelerating the EV transition • Improving public transport provision • Reducing vehicles in town centres • Ensuring resilient transport systems. Highlights There were several Transport highlights this year, which include: • Approval of the Council’s first Mobility Strategy and Action Plan setting the delivery framework for key transport interventions over the next 15 years. The Mobility Strategy aligns closely with national and regional strategies as well as the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Corporate Plan. • Continuing to work with communities to explore innovative ways of delivering Public Transport, building on the award winning Glenfarg Community Bus project which has provided new travel opportunities for residents in the Glenfarg and Kinross-shire area. Page 25 of 42
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• Collaborative working with other Local Authorities and key agencies to progress the expansion of the public EV charging network across the Council area in partnership with the private sector. This work aims to secure multi-million- pound funding that will enable the continued transition to low carbon vehicles. • Work on the Perth Transport Futures Cross Tay Link Road progressing with an expected opening in Spring 2025. This transformational capital project is a key enabler for reducing vehicles in Perth, proposals for which will be developed through the Perth Circulation Plan. Delivery The main challenges associated with delivering transport related projects are primarily around ongoing resources constraints both to develop and deliver projects. Ongoing changes to national funding arrangements have yet to be fully implemented leading to uncertainty on future priorities. Progress against Statutory Targets There are several statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Transport sector as follows. I. Transport Sector emissions reduced by 75% by 2030: Offtrack emissions have reduced by 9.3% between 2005 and 2022. Year on emissions rose this year, attributed to post-covid travel increases (2022 data). Significant increase in progress will be required to meet targets. II. 20% reduction in vehicle km by 2030 (against 2019 levels) Offtrack- Vehicle km rose again year-on-year in 2023, with vehicle kms now down only 6% against 2019 levels. Key Performance Indicators Several of the Transport indicators showed negative progress this year – this is largely attributed to the societal re-mobilisation post- Covid. KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Transport emissions CO2 (kt CO2e) 458.7 (2021) 498.3 (2022) 75% reduction in Transport emissions by 2030 % journeys to school by active transport 49.9 (2022) 49.8 (2023) To be set as part of the P&K Mobility Strategy Monitoring & Evaluation Framework (under development) % journeys to work by sustainable mode of transport 20 (2021) 22 (2022) To be set as part of the P&K Mobility Strategy Monitoring & Evaluation Framework (under development) Total car kms (millions) 1718.6 (2022) 1759.4 (2023) 20% reductio on 2019 levels by 2030 – 1496 million km Public EV charging devices per 100,000 population 125.5 (2023) 133.9 (2024) 23/24 target set in PKC Corporate Plan of 469 – longer term targets to be set Council fleet vehicles that are zero direct-carbon (%) 4% (2023) 4% (2024) 100% new light fleet from 2025 and heavy fleet from 2030 Number of public road closures due to flooding or other climate change impacts 99 (23/24) 45 (22/23 No target set Page 26 of 42
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Focus for upcoming year The focus for the upcoming year is to look to secure external funding to deliver key projects and start to deliver the actions within the approved Mobility Strategy. Five Transport actions are within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • T18 Further development of the Park and Choose at Bertha Park, Walnut Grove • T3 Update the existing Active Travel Strategy that works for everyone in line with Transport Scotland’s Active Travel Strategy Guidance and develop comprehensive active travel network in association with mobility strategy. • T7a Deliver the P&K wide EV Charging Expansion Programme • T32 Develop a Public Transport Strategy to guide the development of the public transport system across the region for the benefit of those visiting, working and living in Perth and Kinross. • T10 Develop and implement a strategy to transform the Council’s fleet to electric and alternative fuel vehicles. Page 27 of 42
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Waste and Circular Economy The Council’s waste and recycling services undertook a major service change within 2023/24 with the twin stream recycling roll enabling wider service provision, out along with the procurement, award and mobilisation of the residual waste contract both of which are pivotal undertakings to meet our climate goals going forward. Within Perth & Kinross Council, work against the key waste related themes identified in the Climate Change Strategy has progressed over the past year in relation to: • Recycling Services • High Carbon Materials • Asset Management • Circular Economy Highlights Highlights this year include: • Residual Waste Contract Award: The award of a long-term solution ahead of the ban on landfilling municipal waste before December 2025. This has resulted in the diversion of approximately 39,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste being sent to landfill, reducing carbon emissions, by an estimated 11,868 tCO2e, in the first year of the contract. On completion of the new Energy from Waste facility at BINN EcoPark, this will also generate energy, adding capacity to the existing private renewable energy grid and deal with waste in the local area. • Twin Stream Roll Out: The Council secured a successful bid for £2.72m from the Scottish Government (Recycling Improvement Fund) resulting in a 4th bin being rolled out to 73,000 households. This has resulted in a more equitable service, better quality materials, less contamination and additional waste materials being collected kerbside for recycling. • Asset Management: Production of the Strategic Business Case to provide an assessment of PKC’s operational infrastructure to provide a programme which seeks to develop sustainable, affordable and fit for purpose facilities to support Operation and Waste provisions/activities going forward. • Circular Economy Business Opportunities: Commencement of work being undertaken to progress the development of a Circular Economy Plan for Perth and Kinross for low carbon Page 28 of 42
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transitioning and economic regeneration and in line with the Circular Economy, including hosting the Perth and Kinross Circular Economy Business Opportunities seminar in June 2024 (Scotland) Act 2024. Delivery The 2023/24 Action Plan identified 21 Waste and Circular Economy Actions. As of 30 September 2024, 67% of the actions can be classified as Green or Amber in terms of progress, with two marked as complete, 9%. The main challenges associated with delivering Waste actions are that national priorities and implementation dates have changed over the period. This has resulted in a considerable level of abortive work for Council staff and the wider waste industry. Recent examples include the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and potential changes to Garden Waste collections. This uncertainty also impacts on financial and resource planning considerations. Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for 23/24 were: Action No Action RAG Status Comments W12 Develop & Maximise Recycling Services by (1) expanding PKC recycling services to include flexible plastic packaging, aluminium Complete Twin Stream Roll out complete January 2024 to 73,000 households throughout Perth & Kinross. foil and hard rigid plastics (2) Expand recycling services (Food/DMR) in Perth City Centre W15 Review PKC procurement processes to embed circular economy principles to reduce consumption of products and materials and make better use of existing products including tackling single use items. A Within the existing Scotland Excel Framework responses from catering suppliers included a commitment from recommended bidders to collect and recycle 95% of packing and 100% of delivery packaging comprising recycled material. Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of the delivery of the Climate Change Action Plan include: • PKC being awarded the ‘Striving for Excellence’ Bronze (APSE) award in the Waste & Recycling category for the efforts in delivering the twin stream roll out. • The collection of flexible plastics and foil means less materials going into the green residual waste bin, and the volume of non-recyclable waste thereby reducing by 3.2%. • Contamination rate in the blue bin prior to twin stream was 18.7%, with this now averaging at around 2.9%. Page 29 of 42
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• Perth & Kinross’s general waste moving from a landfill to an Energy from Waste contract meaning the amount of methane gas has reduced from emissions from landfill. The contract will also bring added Community Benefits with the creation of a Community Benefit Fund and the creation for local jobs. • Working with Third Sector organisations relating to the development of reuse activities. We currently have 4 (public bring-to) reuse containers situated at our Recycling Centres which has diverted 137 tonnes from landfill by entering the reuse network. Along with this there were 41 tonnes of bicycles which were either repaired and sold or stripped for reuse or recycling. Progress against Statutory Targets There are several statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Waste sector as follows. • The target of recycle 60% of household waste by 2020 progressing to 65% of municipal waste by 2035 has been dropped in 2024 by the Scottish Government, however PKC’s figure for 2023 was 51.7%. • Recycle 70% of all waste (includes commercial & industrial) by 2025 - • Ban on biodegradable waste going to landfill (date was 2021, now 2025) – Met through the new EfW refuse contract. • No more than 5% of waste going to landfill by 2025 – Met through the new EfW refuse contract. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Area-wide territorial GHG emissions estimates – Waste (ktCO2e) 82.7 (2021) 73.7 (2022) TBC Total household waste generated (tonnes) and household waste generated per person (kg) 70,604 459 (2022) 71,373 473 (2023) By 2025, reduce tonnes of total waste arising to 15% against 2011 baseline (69,730) Total household waste recycled/composted as % of all household waste. Note this KPI has now been removed by the Scottish Government. 49.2 (2022) 51.7 (2023) Recycle 70% of all waste by 2025 Carbon impact of household waste per person (tonnes CO2e) 1.1 (2022) 0.90 (2023) Reduce carbon impact to 0.7 tonnes CO2e per person by 2026 Whole Life Cycle Emission for Perth and Kinross Council 138.9 (2022) 135.6 (2023) Baseline 160,780 tonnes CO2e (2020) Page 30 of 42
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Collected Waste (ktCO2e) Quantity of food waste collected in residual waste (Kg/HH/week) 1.64 (2022) 1.67 (2024) Reduce food waste by 33% from the 2013 baseline by 2025 Dry Mixed Recycling contamination rate (%) 22.6 (2022/23) 16.05 (2023/24) Reduce to minimum of 20% by 2022/23 and 15% by 2023/24 Focus for upcoming year The focus for the upcoming year is: • Develop a Circular Economy Strategy, incorporating the Waste Management Plan updates, along with a Fly-tipping Strategy (this year and priority for next year). This will be in line with the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill 2024 • Review the Food Waste Action Plan and reinstate working group (this year and priority for next year). • Continue to progress with actions relating to the development of the Asset Management Plan (this year and priority for next year). • Commence the Recycling in Schools Project (this year & priority for next year). • Continue with the work being undertaken in conjunction with the Resource Management Association Scotland to progress the Circular Economy Business opportunities (this year and a priority for next year). • Review bin collection schedules to ascertain optimal collections for waste streams. Two Waste & Circular Economy actions are within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • W21 Develop a Waste & Circular Economy Strategy to align with the Circular Economy Bill. • W17 Undertake an Asset Management Review of Waste & Recycling Infrastructure. Page 31 of 42
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Business and Industry Emissions from business and industry is an area that the Council has limited direct influence over, but plays an enabling and influencing role. Positively overall CO2 emissions from industrial and commercial sources in Perth and Kinross are reducing. Our work this year had a significant focus on collating information and targeting key emitters. Key actions included: • Collating information on carbon reduction plans from key employers; • Promoting advice, tools and grants to SMEs wishing to reduce carbon emissions; • Promoting joint strategic projects with the Transport Group to decarbonise transport; • Promoting joint strategic projects with the Building and Energy Group to decarbonise fixed and mobile assets; Highlights Highlights this year include: • Promoting a Race to Zero campaign with local businesses • Promoting the Perth Eco-Innovation Park as a net zero exemplar • Identifying and promoting green job opportunities with key employers and their supply chains Delivery The 2023/24 Action Plan identified 17 Business and Industry Actions. As of 30 September 2024, 70% of the actions can be classified as Completed or Green and 30% as Amber. The main challenges associated with delivering Business and Industry are: • Engagement with smaller businesses for whom current economic conditions are not favourable in terms of costs of materials and pressures caused by increased energy prices. • The lack of available incentives in terms of support from UK Government or Scottish Government grant schemes for energy efficiency or renewables generation • The need to present a coordinated approach across the Council in terms of services supporting businesses. Review of Top Priority Actions There was one Top Priority Action for 23/24 from the Business & Industry Theme: Action No Action RAG Status Comments B14 Develop Perth West and Perth Eco- Innovation Park as a national net zero exemplar for decarbonisation of transport and energy A Perth Innovation Highway Outline Business Case which is part of the funding sources has been approved in July 2024. Design works have started in September 2024. Negotiations are progressing with landowners. Page 32 of 42
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Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: • Continued decrease in CO2 emissions from business and industry. • In 2023/2024, 22 businesses have benefited for an amount of over £380,000 from the PKC Green Capital Fund financial support. • Heightened awareness of the need to take action though initiatives like the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign Progress against Statutory Targets There are several statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Business and Industry sector as follows. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Total area-wide CO2 emissions from industrial and commercial sources (ktCO2e) 142.6 (2021) 129.5 (2022) No target set Number of registered businesses in energy (including renewables) growth sector 145 (2022) 140 (2023) +10% per year target This 4% decrease is above the Scottish Average of 7% decrease % of businesses (250+ employees or largest energy demand (+0.5MW) with a set target for reducing carbon emissions 17 (2022) 17 (2023) 100% by 2027 Number of businesses supported through PKC Green Recovery Capital Fund 24 (2022/23) 22 (2023/24) c. 20 per year Focus for upcoming year The focus for the upcoming year is: • To continue with the design and development of the Perth Innovation Highway; • To continue to engage with business and industry through co-optees to the Group so that it can benefit from ‘real world’ experience • Target work areas around the priority sectors in terms of CO2 emissions • Provide further support to smaller businesses to help reduce emissions. One Business and Industry action is within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • B14 Develop Perth West and Perth Eco-Innovation Park as a national net zero exemplar. Page 33 of 42
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Land Use Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) is a major emissions source and sink across Perth and Kinross. It accounted for 53.6% (675kt CO2) of the total area-wide greenhouse gas emissions while it was responsible for sequestering -834kt CO2e. (2022 – latest data) Also falling under the category of land use, agriculture accounted for 21% of total area wide carbon dioxide emissions (150.2 kt CO2e). There was a 7.8% reduction in agriculture emissions between 2021 and 2022. Within Perth and Kinross Council, work against the key land use themes identified in the Climate Change Strategy has progressed over the past year in relation to: • Strengthening Planning • Rural Land Use and Carbon Sequestration • Biodiversity • Greenspace Highlights Highlights this year include: • Reviewing existing policy framework – The Council prepared and consulted on a series of 31 background Topic Papers covering the suite of national planning policies in NPF4, which have a stronger focus on tackling the dual climate and nature crises. These papers set out the data and information the Council will use to help produce our Local Development Plan (LDP3), along with a summary of likely implications of that evidence on the development of the Proposed Plan. • Nature Restoration Fund – With our Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) allocation, 18 projects were successfully delivered in Year 3. Projects include restoring riparian habitats to reduce flooding and erosion risks, creating green corridors that enable species to move and adapt to changing climates, and enhancing greenspaces to improve urban cooling in the face of rising temperatures. • Food Growing Strategy – An annual allotment report has been produced, and progress is being made on allotment regulations and working with a number of community groups. Page 34 of 42
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• Open Space Audit – A survey of over 500 accessible open spaces has been carried out to inform the Council’s Open Space Quality Audit (OSQA). The surveyed sites are those open spaces within or adjacent to settlements or designated for open space in LDP2. The next steps are the review and confirmation of the survey results to allow the OSQA to be finalised and used to inform the development of the Council’s Open Space Strategy. • Grassland Management Trials - Trial area has been expanded out to 157 sites within central Perth and Kinross for Year 1 with the view to expand to all sites excluding burial grounds in Year 2. Mapping of the main sites has been completed and uploaded onto the website. Interpretation signage for our main sites is being worked on currently. Smaller site mapping will be carried out but there is currently no timeframe on this. New machinery bought following a successful Nature Restoration Fund bid is being used to cut existing “No Mow” locations across the trial area. • Biodiversity Towns and Villages – Our innovative Biodiversity Towns and Villages programme received UK Shared Prosperity Funding this year to enable expansion of the initiative to up to 20 new communities. Delivery The 2023/24 Action Plan identified 21 Land Use Actions. As of 30 September 2024, 76% of the actions can be classified as Green or Amber in terms of progress. A number of the measures within the land use, land use change and forestry sector take many years to deliver their full benefits. The actions which are currently not on track are mainly linked to staff resourcing and capacity challenges. In particular, the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, its associated Regulations and Guidance, and National Planning Framework 4 have introduced a significant number of new additional asks of planning authorities in the preparation of their Local Development Plans. A large number of the asks are major projects in their own right, which require significant staff resources to deliver, and all at the same time, which is going to continue to be a real challenge over the next 2–3 years. Page 35 of 42
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Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for 23/24 were: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments L1 Develop a landscape scale pilot project in conjunction with partners (Perthshire Nature Connection Partnership (PNCP)) to support private landowners to facilitate and encourage afforestation and peatland restoration. A • PNCP work ongoing with a focus on three priorities. • Work continuing between PNCP and PKC Developer Obligations Officer, along with a consultant to develop a potential methodology to allow developer contributions linked to nature solutions to be sought. L11 and L14 Review existing planning policy framework and prepare a suite of enhanced policies for inclusion in LDP3. A • Development Plans Team has reviewed LDP2 policies against NPF4 national policy suite to identify which policies have been superseded by NPF4, which are in conformity with but provide a local response, and where there is conflict. Work is now Action Number Action RAG Status Comments progressing on Evidence Report to be submitted to Scottish Ministers early 2025. Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of the delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: • The Council was able to plant over 2,500 new trees this year. • Increased community volunteering, with nearly 2000 hours this past year. • Grassland Management Trials have been extended to 157 sites across the Perth and Kinross Area. • The Council’s planning policy framework has been reviewed and is being brought into alignment with the new suite of national planning policies in NPF4, which will bring a stronger focus to tackling the dual climate and nature crises across the PKC Area. • A Draft PKC Tree Strategy is due to be published for internal circulation during Autum 2024. Progress against Statutory Targets The Scottish Government has set several statutory targets related to land use. These are mainly at a national level rather than at a local authority level, with the Council having varying degrees of influence over them. However, local authority action will be required to meet these targets. Page 36 of 42
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The national targets include: • Creation of 18,000 Hectares of new woodlands annually by 2032 - Perth and Kinross is currently at 18.5% which is the same as our baseline year value (2018). • 250,000 Hectares of peatland restored by 2030 – Perth and Kinross has approximately 10% of Scottish peatland. • At least 20,000 Hectares of peatland restored annually by 2032. • At least 80% of designated natural site features to be in favourable condition by 2016 – Not met but improving: 76.5% of protected biological and mixed SSSIs site features, and 78% of protected nature site features. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment % of the total land area of Perth and Kinross covered by woodland 18.5% (2019/20) 18.5% (2020/21) National target to increase forest and woodland cover to 21% of total area of Scotland by 2032 Total LULUCF emissions (ktCO2e) 679.6 (2021) 675 (2022) Target still to be set Total LULUCF sequestration (ktCO2e) -841.1 (2021) -834.4 (2022) Target still to be set Total Agriculture emissions (ktCO2e) 162.9 (2021) 150.2 (2022) Target still to be set Amount of land protected for nature within Perth and Kinross Council boundary 33.5% (2022/23) 33.5% (2023/24) National target for protection of at least 30% of Scotland (land and sea) by 2030. % Of Protected Biological and Mixed SSSI Sites in Favourable Condition 75.3 (2023) 76.5 (2024) National target for at least 80% by 2016. % Of Protected Nature Site Features in Favourable Condition 75.5 (2023) 78 (2024) National target for at least 80% by 2016 Number of trees planted on Council land and maintained open space 670 (2022/23) 2512 (2023/24) Number of community volunteering hours in biodiversity related projects 1786.5 (2023) 1934 (2024) Area grassland managed for biodiversity improvement objectives (ha) 21.72 (2022/23) 21.72 (2023/24) Vol. of Herbicide Used (L – undiluted quantity 1216 (2022/23) 1182 (2023/24) The Council’s commitments within the Edinburgh Declaration require a national reduction of 50% by 2030 (547 litres) Page 37 of 42
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Focus for upcoming year Actions this year will primarily focus on continuing our work on: • Progressing work on the development of our new Local Development Plan (LDP3) and embedding the necessary spatial and policy framework to support our on-going climate action ambitions. This includes reviewing our Forest and Woodland Strategy and publishing our draft Open Space Audit and Strategy for consultation. • Publication of a Draft PKC Tree Strategy for consultation, with a view to publishing a final strategy in 2025. • Continue to monitor Grassland Management Trials – Grow Wild implementation. • Complete site survey programme for Local Nature Conservation Sites to enable designation to take place. • Continue to work in partnership with Perthshire Nature Connections Partnership to develop methodology for seeking developer contributions towards nature-based solutions. • Deliver our innovative Biodiversity Towns and Villages and Green Industrial Parks Projects to increase community involvement in biodiversity. Five Land Use actions are within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • L11/L14 Review existing LDP planning policy framework and prepare a suite of enhanced policies for inclusion in LDP3. • L24 -Review and revise our Forestry and Woodland Strategy for incorporation within LDP3 (now a statutory requirement under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019) • L22 Identify and develop Nature Networks for Perth & Kinross • L10 Biodiversity Villages, Neighbourhoods and Towns Initiative – work with local communities to develop Biodiversity Action Plans, supporting biodiversity and climate change mitigation and adaption • L9 - Accelerate delivery of Tayside LBAP - Work across services to maximise opportunities for the Council to achieve actions set out in the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan 2016-26. Page 38 of 42
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Resilience and Adaptation The climate is already changing in Perth and Kinross – precipitation patterns have started to alter; temperatures have risen, and more extreme weather events have an increased likelihood of occurring. The Council is working to build resilience to future events and adapt to the current and expected climatic changes. The Council’s climate resilience and adaptation work has progressed in relation to the five key areas: • Resilient organisations • Resilient and empowered communities • Resilient ecosystems • Resilient infrastructure • Flood risk management. Highlights Highlights of our Resilience work this year include: • The Council’s structures team are making steady progress on identifying and quantifying the risks posed to PKC owned bridges due to scour action. Ten bridges considered most likely to have scour issues have had a detailed scour assessment completed, with a further thirteen assessments underway. As expected, these have identified bridges where scour protection works will be required and the first major scour protection scheme is expected to be implemented in 2025. • A contractor has been appointed to build the £26.8m Comrie Flood scheme designed to protect 189 homes and businesses. The scheme will significantly reduce the flood risk from three rivers; the River Earn, the River Lednock and the Water of Ruchill. • The Council funded a restoration plan for the lower South Quiech Catchment to address high phosphorus runoffs into Loch Leven. This was part of the Council supporting the Loch Leven LENS project, which aims to be investment ready by the end of 2024 with projects starting to be delivered mid-2025. Delivery The 2023/24 Action Plan identified 33 Resilience and adaptation Actions. As of 30 September 2024, only one action can be classified as Red, while 29 actions (85%) can be classified as Green or Amber in terms of progress. Two actions have been marked as complete and two new actions have been added. There are several challenges associated with delivering our Resilience actions. Resourcing is a key challenge – most notable the lack of clarity from the Scottish Government over the funding of flooding schemes impacting on delivery of both Cycle 1 and 2 schemes. The multi-million-pound cost identified this year to address ash dieback is also a significant new pressure. On the staffing side, both staff capacity and available technical skillsets are limiting delivery. Building individual and community ownership for resilience is another challenge. While the Council has significant role to play, especially through the delivery of key schemes, we also need Page 39 of 42
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individuals to play their part by taking property level action. These complementary scales of action are needed to minimise the risk that anyone in Perth & Kinross will experience the devastating impacts associated with flooding or other extreme events. Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for 23/24 were: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments R6 Undertake a strategic climate change risk and opportunity assessment for Perth and Kinross Council Area Completed • Completed in 2023 • Council is currently developing an online StoryMap to make the data more accessible to the wider public. R11 Develop updated roads development guide to resolve conflicts with adoption criteria for SUDS with roads maintenance requirements as well as providing wider resilience benefits G Delivery was initially delayed, but the roads development guide has now been drafted and is currently going through internal consultation R12 Develop and implement scour bridge protection programme G All of PKC’s bridges have been screened at a high level and this year 10 no. of the highest risk bridge scour assessments have been completed. Continuing contribution and support to the delivery of Nature Rich Leven and other catchment management approaches G The Council funded the development of a catchment management plan for the South Queich catchment to address phosphorus pollution in Loch Leven R24 Continued delivery of Flood Risk Management Cycle 1 Projects and commence Cycle 2 projects A Mixture of projects on track (e.g. Comrie Flood scheme & SWMP development) and projects delayed due to previous staffing shortages and uncertainty about funding (e.g. Scone, Milnathort, South Kinross). Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: • The Council continues to support and develop community resilience forums - the number of community resilience groups increased this year from 27 to 33, resulting in proactive and preventative measures. • As a result of the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), 18 projects were successfully delivered in Year 3. Projects Page 40 of 42
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include restoring riparian habitats to reduce flooding and erosion risks, creating green corridors that enable species to move and adapt to changing climates, and enhancing greenspaces to improve urban cooling in the face of rising temperatures. Progress against Statutory Targets Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, Perth and Kinross Council (as a listed public body) has a legal duty to contribute to the delivery of the Scottish National Adaptation Plan 3 (SNAP3) and its objectives. SNAP3 does not include specific targets applicable to local authorities, however, it sets the vision for a well-adapted and climate resilient Scotland by introducing the following five outcomes: 1. Nature connects across our land, settlements, coasts and seas; 2. Communities are creating climate-resilient, healthy and equitable places; 3. Public services are collaborating in effective and inclusive adaptation action; 4. Economies and industries are adapting and realising opportunities in Scotland’s Just Transition; 5. Scotland’s international role supports climate justice and enhanced global action on adaptation; Flooding is one of the main physical climate risks to Perth and Kinross. Under the Flood Risk Management Act 2009, we have a duty to deliver Flodd Risk Management Plans and report on our progress every three years. In December 2022, we assessed 85% of the PKC actions in the flood risk plan are completed or on track. The next progress report is due in 2025. Key Performance Indicators The Resilience KPIs are shown in the Table below. Improvement was seen for all three KPIs that new data was available for. A new target was added this year for Bridge Scour Assessments, a target of 100 assessments by 2030 is proposed. This is based on a high-level review of scour susceptibility indicates that there are approximately 400 bridges (out of a total of 865) where scour may be a problem, however, it is not expected that all these bridges will be high risk or require a detailed scour assessment to be carried out. At present it is estimated that detailed scour assessments will be required on approximately 100 bridges however this target will be reviewed as work continues. KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Annual Scotland Adapts Capability Framework score 8.2/16 (2022/23) 9/16 (2023/24) Mature organisation – 12/16 by 2026 On track Number of community groups engaged in proactive climate resilience work 27 (2022) 33 (2023) 53 (a minimum of one per Community Council Area) Percentage of PKC’s flood risk management plan actions classified on track or completed 85% (2019) 85% (2022) Will be next reported on in 2025 Number of Bridge Scour Assessments Undertaken 0 11 New target: 100 completed scour assessments by 2030. Page 41 of 42
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Focus for upcoming year This year we will continue with our important and established programmes of work on scour, flooding and nature restoration, but will also expand to some new focus areas including the development and implementation a landslip assessment programme to identify the risks that these potential pose to our infrastructure and communities and addressing ash dieback. In line with SNAP3’s focus on Regional Partnerships, the Scottish Government have funded Scotland Adapts to assist us in the development of Tayside Adapts – a Tayside adaptation partnership together with Angus Council and Dundee City Council. Three Resilience actions are within the Council’s top 25 priority actions for next year: • R24 Continued delivery of Flood Risk Management Cycle 1 Projects and commence Cycle 2 projects. • R12 Develop and implement scour protection programme for key Council assets. • R20 Support community resilience groups to build proactive resilience. Page 42 of 42