APPENDIX 1 Quick Read Plan for Net Zero
Renfrewshire Council · 23 August 2022
Back to Planning and Climate Change Policy Board — 23 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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PLAN FOR NET ZERO CLEAN ENERGY SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT CIRCULAR ECONOMY CONNECTED COMMUNITIES RESILIENT PLACE Our Plan for Net Zero We want to end Renfrewshire’s contribution to climate change within a generation. We are committed to working towards net zero by 2030 for the whole of Renfrewshire to ensure a safer, healthier, greener and fairer place for everyone to live, work and spend time in RENFREWSHIRE’S PLAN FOR NET ZERO PHASE 1: WORKING TOWARDS NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2030
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From evidence and research we know that human activities are the main cause of climate change. Many of our actions produce greenhouse gas emissions, raising our planet’s temperature and causing our climate to change. Emissions from greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, from the way we treat valuable resources as ‘waste’ and from land use changes have all contributed to global warming, and this is the biggest threat to our planet. Our response to the climate emergency brings opportunities for our local communities and economy. It also brings potential solutions to tackle inequalities, including those exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the current cost of living crisis. Renfrewshire Council has shown leadership at both a strategic level and operational level to be a driver of change - declaring a climate emergency in June 2019 and committing to work towards net zero by 2030. We have developed strong governance to lead by example and take action to tackle climate change, including establishing a Climate Change Sub-Committee, now the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board, and committing £1million to a Climate Change Action Fund supporting innovative climate projects and initiatives across Renfrewshire which build on transformative projects that the Council have already delivered across our operations. When we’re talking about net zero for Renfrewshire, we mean reducing greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible (from our energy, resource use, transport, etc.) and locking up remaining emissions through initiatives like tree planting, restoring peat bogs and carbon capture and storage schemes. This makes the balance of our emissions ‘net’ zero. This Plan is Council-led but is for the whole Renfrewshire area and we need everyone to participate to achieve our ambitions. Moving towards net zero will transform our communities, our economy and how we deliver our services, so engagement is key to ensure all voices are heard. In developing this Plan, we worked hard to gather different views and ideas with a Climate Survey, a Business Survey, establishing our representative citizens Climate Panel and working with local public, private and third sector and community planning partners to get everyone involved. Throughout this summary document and the full Plan, you will notice references to ‘we’ – this means Renfrewshire Council as a lead partner and producer of this Plan, but it also means Renfrewshire stakeholders, communities, citizens and the people we’ve been speaking to as we pull together this Plan and shape our route forward. To work collectively to reduce emissions, it is important to have a robust evidence base. Our greenhouse gas emissions baseline for Renfrewshire Council as an organisation and Renfrewshire as an area highlights progress made so far and the gaps we need to fill with actions reach net zero. Renfrewshire Council makes up around 2.5% of the area’s total emissions, with buildings we are responsible for being the main source of emissions (67%), followed by transport (17%) and waste collection (8%). For the Renfrewshire area, transport is the biggest source of emissions (34%), with residential energy use and commercial and industrial energy use both on 29%. The Plan for Net Zero will identify and prioritise action across all of the different sectors in collaboration with all of our stakeholders, and signpost to information, advice and support (including financial support) to enable change to work towards net zero. This work will help to identify and prioritise actions across all sectors in collaboration with stakeholders. We will work together with partners, businesses, local people and communities to target 5 focused outcome areas, creating opportunities for all. The key focus areas of activity which we will progress, lead and enable are: o Clean Energy: we will minimise energy demand, maximise energy efficiency and transform our energy systems to deliver clean, affordable energy for all o Sustainable Transport: we will maximise sustainable transport opportunities to deliver an inclusive, affordable transport system that provides choice for all o Circular Economy: we will make Renfrewshire a circular economy society: minimising waste and maximising reuse, recycling and recovery of resources rather than treating them as waste o Connected Communities: we will empower our communities by ensuring an inclusive and just transition to net zero with social justice and health and wellbeing at its core for current and future generations INTRODUCTION
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o Resilient Place: we will optimise biodiversity and nature locally to enhance our natural environment and maximise green economic opportunities while planning and preparing for impacts of climate change There will always be emissions that we are unable to remove, such as those associated with medicines and anaesthetics. Even a best case scenario has shown that both Renfrewshire Council and Renfrewshire area would have remaining emissions that would need to be offset. The Plan for Net Zero aims to set out how we can take action collectively to reduce emissions as low as possible, leaving achievable emissions levels to offset. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution across Renfrewshire – we need to look on an area by area, community by community basis to tailor solutions to meet local needs and make sure that no one is left behind. We need to identify and understand barriers to change, so that we can find solutions and we need to transition in a way that is just, creates opportunities equitably and creates a greener, fairer, sustainable way of life for all our citizens, communities and local businesses. We want everyone to be involved - our engagement will be ongoing to raise awareness and encourage conversations with all stakeholders as the Plan is implemented. We will develop a communications plan to ensure a coordinated approach for ongoing engagement to ensure people can follow progress and participate in climate activities across Renfrewshire; continue effective governance in partnership with public, private and community organisations; and develop visualisation tools to model, monitor and report progress. We will welcome comments and feedback from all citizens, communities and stakeholders on Phase 1 of the Plan for Net Zero. This will inform Phase 2 of the Plan for Net Zero – which will outline our route map to net zero and the phased actions, projects, resources and interventions that will enable us to reach our target. The change needed to reach net zero is unprecedented. It will require long-term financial resources and large-scale investment. It will require government at all levels to redirect and, in some cases, reprioritise existing finance to support the scale and pace of change required and align investment with climate priorities. The delivery of high quality public services remains a priority - with the transition to net zero and a green recovery from COVID-19 bringing opportunities for increased efficiencies and potential service improvements through rebuilding and designing better systems and putting things back together differently. In addition to traditional avenues of funding, it will be key to explore more innovative and collaborative ways to finance climate action across stakeholders, including new business models; joint ventures and partnership projects; and potential crowdsourcing initiatives such as community municipal bonds. Knowledge sharing and collaboration across stakeholders, as well as with other local authorities, will be key to understand different approaches, solutions and best practice. This approach, pipeline of projects and investment in a net zero society and green economy also brings opportunities for the local workforce and market confidence for supply chains and manufacturing through the implementation, installation, construction and maintenance of projects. We need to identify and address skills gaps and ensure a proactive approach to the upskilling, reskilling and training required to ensure this large-scale job creation and sustainable employment opportunity is retained locally as much as possible; to limit the transition risks; and ensure that skills interventions lead to a more inclusive and productive, resilient and future-proofed economy We will require ambition, drive and collective local action beyond the national contribution in order to work towards net zero by 2030. This will be achieved through targeted action across our 5 focus areas: clean energy; sustainable transport; circular economy; connected communities; and resilient place. Please get involved and let us know what you think about the areas of focus, issues or opportunities within your community and what you would like to see locally to shape the Plan for Net Zero: climate@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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Renfrewshire’s energy consumption makes up over half (58%) of the area’s total emissions. Energy costs are increasing at a time when we are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and many citizens are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis. As a Council, we need to take this into account in everything we do. The Plan for Net Zero will outline a transition to clean energy systems to provide reliable, secure, affordable energy for everyone. The majority of Renfrewshire’s homes and businesses, including the Council estate and Council housing stock, are currently heated and powered by fossil fuels which contribute to climate change – and many are older and less well insulated, making them harder and more expensive to heat, which increases carbon emissions and exacerbates issues with fuel poverty. It is vital that we cut emissions from Renfrewshire’s homes and businesses, in a way that ends fuel poverty, ensures warm homes and buildings and develops a thriving, wellbeing economy. Changes to how we generate, supply and use energy will be challenging but transitioning to clean energy systems also brings opportunities. The Plan for Net Zero will follow the energy hierarchy and this will be applied to the Council estate, as well as identifying opportunities in our communities and for local businesses – reducing energy use at source; maximising energy efficiency; then meeting the remaining demand by renewable and low carbon energy systems. Traditional sources of energy will be a last resort and the carbon associated will be offset locally to compensate. This approach will reduce reliance on fossil fuels, support the growth of net zero local economies and tackle climate change while addressing specific energy issues faced locally within our communities - ensuring energy security, affordability and resilience. CLEAN ENERGY: We will minimise energy demand, maximise energy efficiency and transform our energy systems to deliver clean, affordable energy for all PRIORITY AREAS FOR CLEAN ENERGY 1: minimising energy demand: reduce energy waste to reduce demand at source 2: maximising energy efficiency: improved energy efficiency across all homes and buildings to reduce consumption and remove poor energy efficiency as a driver for fuel poverty 3: maximising sustainable energy generation: decarbonise the energy we use for heating, power and transport - matching local demand and local supply with community involvement and using energy storage to optimise the amount of locally generated energy able to be used locally 4: alleviating fuel poverty: through improved energy efficiency and the provision of affordable, low carbon heat and power, ensuring warm homes to improve wellbeing and reduce health inequalities 5: energy security and resilience: a managed energy transition to ensure resilient communities, with secure and affordable energy supplies for everyone 6: offsetting: conventional sources of energy as a last resort, with local carbon offsetting to compensate HOW THE COUNCIL WILL LEAD & ENABLE THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY: 1: We will undertake a strategic review of all the buildings we own to ensure more efficient use: minimising energy consumption; reducing energy waste; maximising energy efficiency; and ensuring all public and community buildings have renewables where technically feasible - monitoring and sharing our progress to ensure transparency and facilitate replication by others 2: We will generate the equivalent of 100% of the Council’s public buildings’ power needs and ensure 100% of the Council’s public building heating requirements are carbon neutral by 2030 3: We will implement measures in Council housing stock to reduce carbon emissions by 68% (from 2020 levels) and work towards ensuring all Council housing stock has an EPC of B by 2030 where feasible. Where possible we will work with private homeowners within mixed tenure blocks to help them to participate and benefit from Council energy efficiency improvement programmes and will work with owner-occupiers and the private rented sector to share learnings and identify opportunities to reduce costs for all through economies of scale 4: We will increase energy security and resilience - mapping strategically across Renfrewshire to identify local energy solutions for heat, power and transport on an area-by- area basis. This will accelerate deployment of local energy systems where local supply meets local demand; using input from stakeholder engagement to ensure we tailor solutions to respond to and meet our communities’ social and environmental needs, including alleviation of fuel poverty and will ensure the benefits of local energy systems stay within our communities 5: We will work with regional partners to attract large-scale public and private investment to ensure community wealth building, quality green jobs and resulting in inclusive, empowered, resilient, sustainable communities with a reduced reliance on fossil fuels, for example increased community and locally owned energy
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Transport infrastructure is a key economic and social driver – it connects people to jobs, education, services and each other. However transport is also the biggest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland and in Renfrewshire, and these emissions have not reduced much over the last 10 years. Transport makes up 34% of Renfrewshire’s total emissions - made up of personal travel (diesel and petrol cars, motorbikes and buses); freight (HGV, diesel and petrol LGV); and railways. Council fleet makes up 17.3% of Renfrewshire Council’s total emissions. This is an area where collectively we have an opportunity to significantly reduce our emissions; improve the air that we breathe; save money; and improve health and wellbeing by choosing different forms of travel, whether it’s a short trip to the shops or a longer commute to work and includes changing how we work as a Council and how staff travel as part of daily work duties. In order to cut emissions from transport at the scale required to meet net zero, we will need to be ambitious. A transport system designed around private car use can make getting about for non-car users difficult and causes barriers to people moving around and accessing services they rely on. Sustainable transport is not just about switching to electric vehicles (EVs) - it’s about how we organise all transport; where we source goods from; and how goods and people are moved around. Redesigning and improving local areas, and freeing up local space traditionally used by private vehicles, provides opportunities to create more green and open spaces for communities to enjoy and will make our local areas safer, more attractive and healthier places to live, work and spend time in. Quality, connected transport systems will enable everyone to access goods, services and social connections that are essential for health and wellbeing. Improvements in transport connectivity reduce travel time and lower the costs of transporting goods and people, bringing benefits to citizens and businesses through greater employment and social opportunities, increased economic productivity and local economic growth and investment. We will address common issues with current transport systems to ensure equal access to opportunities and services and support transition away from car use as much as possible. SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT: We will maximise sustainable transport opportunities to deliver an inclusive, affordable transport system that provides choice for all PRIORITY AREAS FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT 1: maximise active travel opportunities: making walking, cycling or wheeling easy, safe and attractive travel options for all through effective infrastructure 2: increase public transport patronage: enabling an inclusive, safe, effective and affordable public transport network for everyone 3: minimise car miles: support behaviour change through improved and enhanced active travel and public transport provision to reduce car miles 4: enable modal shift to Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs): putting in place infrastructure and strategies to enable shift to ULEV cars, buses and heavy goods vehicles 5: alleviate transport poverty: advancing equality of opportunity, ensuring everyone has safe and affordable transportation to access services, employment and social activities 6: local carbon offsetting: to make every trip in the Renfrewshire area net zero carbon HOW THE COUNCIL WILL LEAD & ENABLE THE TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT: 1: We will remove the need for new petrol and diesel light commercial vehicles in the Council fleet by 2025 and phase out the need for all new petrol and diesel vehicles in the Council fleet by 2030 2: We will explore options for a public bike share scheme (including e-bikes) and will continue to work with local communities to identify active travel infrastructure to be systematically upgraded and extended where feasible and create strategic new paths for functional journeys, alongside policy updates and promotion to enable more people to walk, wheel and cycle safely and more often 3: We will ensure safer streets that enable active travel, including introducing 20mph zones where proportionate to make our communities safer, identifying suitable areas for pedestrianisation and segregated/off road active travel networks 4: We will work with public transport partners to explore options for increasing deployment of low emission buses, including electric and hydrogen vehicles, and improving public transport provision across the area 5: We will advance equality of opportunity by exploring options for a public EV car club scheme and through continuing to invest in and expand public EV charging infrastructure across Renfrewshire, and will meet the equivalent of 100% of this increased electrical demand from renewables by 2030
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A circular economy is a key part of the solution to the climate emergency – where products, services and resources are optimised; where everything has value; and waste is minimised or designed out. It is described as ‘make, use, reuse, remake’ instead of the current linear system of ‘buy, use, dispose’. This will help dramatically reduce waste generated, as well as saving the Earth’s valuable finite resources, reducing our emissions and reducing costs. Renfrewshire’s latest data shows that 83.5% of household waste is now being diverted from going to landfill – due to a comprehensive waste and recycling collection service changes and our participation in the Clyde Valley Waste Project which generates energy from residual waste (i.e. non-recyclable waste from the grey bins). Around 13% of Scotland’s waste is currently processed outside Scotland. This represents a potential economic opportunity which, with Renfrewshire’s strong manufacturing base, can be seized to create new business models and create local employment. Through the Plan for Net Zero we will work with citizens to tackle our throwaway culture to reduce demand for raw materials, encourage reuse, repair and remanufacture to prevent waste and work with local businesses to identify the opportunities of maximising the value of materials through recycling and recovering materials and energy, creating a circular economy with opportunities and benefits that stay within our communities. Donating pre-loved items to reuse organisations is a great way to support all households to access quality, affordable items and ensures reusable furniture, electrical items, household goods and clothing that are functional and fit for sale can be used by others. Many reuse organisations also provide additional social benefits and opportunities including upskilling of volunteers and pathways to paid employment as well as diverting waste from landfill. The Plan for Net Zero will follow the waste hierarchy – with preventing waste at source being the key priority, followed by reuse and repair, recycling, recovery and then disposal as a last resort. Changing the way we use and reuse materials and stimulating the development of new markets to deal with future waste and materials will bring sustainable, long-term local economic opportunities. Transitioning to a circular economy will keep our resources and materials in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life. CIRCULAR ECONOMY: We will make Renfrewshire a circular economy society: minimising waste & maximising reuse, recycling & recovery of resources rather than treating them as waste PRIORITY AREAS FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY 1: reduce waste at source: minimise carbon impact per person in the products and services we buy through cutting consumption and reducing waste at source, including water conservation, eliminating demand for non-essential single use and disposable items 2: maximise reuse, repair and recovery: make more effective use of resources through keeping goods and materials in use for longer, stepping away from a ‘take-make-dispose’ economy 3: sustainable waste management: enable behaviour change and embrace innovation to maximise recycling and composting and minimise waste going to landfill through comprehensive engagement 4: supporting communities to reduce waste: facilitating initiatives such as community fridges; pre-loved school uniforms; tool share stations; and mending and repair skill- sharing workshops 5: offsetting: disposal as a last resort, with local offsetting of associated emissions to compensate HOW THE COUNCIL WILL LEAD & ENABLE THE TRANSITION TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY: 1: We will identify procurement hot spots within the Council’s supply chains, activities and operations to maximise circular economy opportunities; optimise local supply chains; and identify areas where we can reduce carbon in the products and services we buy through innovative procurement 2: We will ensure recycling is accessible for everyone, including non-standard properties, e.g. tenements and flats, and work to resolve problem areas such as storage space, stairs, communal bins, lack of participation and fly tipping through ongoing stakeholder consultation and engagement 3: We will ensure that all Council buildings, including schools, have the facilities for the full recycling collection service and work with local businesses and commercial waste providers to identify improvement opportunities 4: We will promote sharing and repairing behaviours (including within our own operations) and work with local partners to expand existing models of sharing libraries and repair cafés and workshops 5: We will reduce the carbon impact of waste from Council operations annually per head of population, monitoring and sharing progress as well as lessons learned from initiatives which have been implemented
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The climate crisis is not felt equally – this is true in Renfrewshire, in Scotland, and across the world. Climate change makes existing inequalities worse such as poverty, disability, poor health. Often the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities, who have contributed least to climate change, are most impacted. Putting people and our communities at the centre of our transition to net zero will enable us to address existing and future inequalities, creating benefits and opportunities for all. To ensure social justice and a just transition, we will listen to our communities and explore the risks, benefits and impacts of decarbonisation on those living in poverty and other vulnerable groups within our society. This will ensure the benefits of the transition are fairly distributed; will reduce the gap between the richest and poorest; and will ensure the most vulnerable in our society are not further disadvantaged as a result of unintended consequences. ‘Place’ is a key aspect of the Plan for Net Zero. Through understanding our area, we recognise the differences across local areas and settlements (i.e. rural vs urban; gas grid vs off gas grid) so that proposed solutions reflect each area and take into account local distinctive needs; opportunities and priorities. The Plan for Net Zero will be a joined up approach across all our stakeholders - using the skills, expertise and capacity of partners, communities and businesses across local areas to identify opportunities. This will encourage collaboration and partnership working with groups within those areas so that solutions can be community led. CONNECTED COMMUNITIES: We will empower our communities by ensuring an inclusive and just transition to net zero with social justice and health and wellbeing at its core for current and future generations PRIORITY AREAS FOR CONNECTED COMMUNITIES 1: comprehensive and ongoing engagement: including traditionally under- represented groups, to ensure all voices are heard, enabling all stakeholders to contribute to the design and delivery of the Plan for Net Zero 2: supporting community initiatives and partnership working: enable local action through knowledge sharing and skill sharing and identify local spaces suitable for community projects as well as opportunities for collaborative working, with stakeholder involvement to ensure solutions are tailored to different communities’ needs, increasing community resilience and ensuring benefits stay local 3: socio-economic impact assessments: to identify and evaluate direct and indirect impacts of proposed interventions and projects to ensure benefits are shared equitably and no one is further disadvantaged 4: our children and young people: children and young people are the least responsible for climate change and inequalities yet are affected by the impacts of both. We will work with our children and young people to address their priority issues which affect them and identify solutions to benefit them, their families and wider society and tackle existing and future inequalities to improve outcomes for all 5: support and advice: signposting to grant funding and ensuring impartial advice and support is in place in advance of change HOW THE COUNCIL WILL LEAD & ENABLE CONNECTED COMMUNITIES: 1: We will work with partners and local organisations to launch a one-stop information service which links and signposts to support and advice across all areas of the Plan for Net Zero and to help address the cost of living crisis 2: We will implement the Fairer Scotland Duty in all our decision making and actions in response to the climate emergency to ensure all decisions and actions help to tackle inequality as well as reducing emissions 3: We will embed community wealth building into our procurement practices to ensure a local-centred approach which redirects wealth back into the local economy and provides opportunities and benefits into the hands of local people 4: We will work with our communities to identify opportunities for land and assets within their local area to develop local projects which benefit those who live there, e.g. community energy opportunities, food growing, wild flowering and tree planting, flood resilience – connecting people through regenerated local space and tackling inequality through community collaboration 5: We will listen to all our communities to hear what their issues and priorities are in order to design local solutions which meet the needs of all our local citizens fairly, with a focus on those who are most vulnerable, to contribute to improved social outcomes, including assisting alleviation of fuel poverty; reducing health inequalities; and reducing adverse climate change impacts, while keeping communities updated on action and initiatives being proposed locally
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We want to ensure connected communities and resilient places across Renfrewshire. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated inequalities and exposed the vulnerability of many within our communities, further emphasising the need to build resilience within our communities and economy. Severe weather and climate impacts are already affecting our communities - recent local storms and flooding events have again shone a spotlight on the importance of resilience and adaptation. We will incorporate resilience and adaptation into the Plan for Net Zero and work with local organisations and communities to identify climate risks to plan and prioritise actions and interventions that enable us to prepare, respond and recover from severe weather and climate change impacts. Some impacts of climate change are already ‘locked in’ and these need to be managed. Existing infrastructure and buildings may need to be adapted to prepare for these impacts. Early warning systems, such as flood monitoring and forecasting, are key in disaster management, as well as area-based emergency response plans and continuity plans. The Plan for Net Zero will enable local emergency response plans to be prepared in advance and reviewed, communicated and updated as required with all key stakeholders and our communities. Inclusive growth is a key focus - opportunities for community-led activity: creating jobs and developing local supply chains; re-training and upskilling of local workforce; and creating thriving and innovative businesses with quality jobs and fair work for everyone. The Plan for Net Zero will take a place-based approach, addressing the twin challenge of climate emergency and biodiversity loss, ensuring the wider benefits and opportunities are distributed fairly across all places and people. RESILIENT PLACE: We will optimise biodiversity and nature locally to enhance our natural environment and maximise green economic opportunities, while planning and preparing for impacts of climate change PRIORITY AREAS FOR RESILIENT PLACES 1: ensuring resilience: of our communities, buildings and critical infrastructure to local climate impacts 2: protecting, restoring and enhancing existing habitats and species: through prioritised nature-based climate adaptation actions including protection of ecosystem services, e.g. control of soil erosion and water regulation 3: a green recovery with community wealth building: capturing the opportunities of a just transition to net zero, creating local green jobs, developing sustainable skills and nurturing a wellbeing economy 4: helping nature locally: greening outdoor spaces and building footprints, as well as installation of bird feeders, hedgehog houses and insect hotels in public spaces to ensure everyone can enjoy and access nature 5: improving air quality: through a reduction in emissions from energy, transport and industry, alongside increased greening of the local environment 6: sequestration: maximising the carbon absorption potential of our natural environment through activities such as the restoration of our peat bogs; tree planting; and improved land practices HOW THE COUNCIL WILL LEAD & ENABLE TO ENSURE RESILIENT PLACES: 1: We will work with colleges, schools, universities, local training providers, apprenticeships and staff training, to ensure that the courses and training opportunities exist for the stable and sustainable, quality jobs that will be created to ensure every person is able to reskill and upskill to participate in a just transition to a net zero 2: We will carry out an inventory of all Council land and assets, including vacant and derelict land, to explore how we can store more carbon on our land than we produce – identifying appropriate locations and measures to increase the carbon stored on land we own and increase biodiversity on public land assets, e.g. restoration of peat bogs; greening public spaces; and wild flowering instead of using lawnmowers on verges where safe to do so 3: We will encourage change - supporting, developing and creating 20-minute neighbourhoods/rural hubs so that citizens can access the services they need locally; ensuring sustainable transport infrastructure; and increasing local renewable energy generation (both new development and using existing infrastructure). 4: We will produce a proposed pipeline of our major infrastructure projects in order to link with skills transition and local employment opportunities and identify skills gaps, shortages and requirements ahead of time. This proposed pipeline will build on work that is already underway to encourage investment in local areas; enable local supply chain and manufacturing opportunities to be identified; de-risk private sector investment; and bring about regeneration of local areas 5: We will undertake proactive measures: adopt an early warning system to prepare for extreme weather events such as heatwaves and flooding; identify “grey” and “nature-based” flood protection measures; put in place local emergency response plans; and undertake a climate risk register of all public assets to ensure all our infrastructure and buildings, including historic buildings are resilient to the impacts of climate change
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In line with our commitment to work towards net zero by 2030, we have made changes within Council operations to reduce carbon emissions and we have also delivered large- scale projects with regional and national benefits which align with our focus areas. Click on the links for more details on some of our projects to date: The first of a kind in Scotland: AMIDS District Heating Network - provides low carbon heating, cooling and hot water via a district heating network to businesses at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District site in Paisley, with a carbon reduction of over 95% over the 40 years lifecycle of the project and potential to connect other buildings locally. Housing Regeneration & Renewal Programme: a £100M ten year programme delivering high quality and energy efficient Council housing throughout Renfrewshire - creating nicer places to live, bringing down energy bills and alleviating fuel poverty, with associated health and wellbeing benefits. Follow on works will look at zero energy buildings and minimising the embedded and operational carbon in new building stock and work is also underway to explore possible district heating options. LED Street Lighting Conversion Programme: more than 30,000 streetlights have been converted from sodium lanterns to more energy efficient LED lanterns, which have a longer lifespan of up to 20 years and lower carbon output - delivering a reduction in street light electricity and carbon consumption of 64%, which is contributing to an 8% reduction in the Council’s overall carbon consumption. Active Travel Improvements: investing in our active travel network to ensure links to key employment centres as well as key destinations between our centres and to improve health, wellbeing and safety. We are upgrading existing cycle routes as well as constructing new high quality routes to create a comprehensive network, such as the new Paisley to Renfrew and Bishopton to Glasgow Airport routes under construction and improving the National Cycle Route 7 which passes through Paisley. Public EV Charging Expansion: as well as switching the Council’s cars and light vans fleet to electric vehicles (EVs), we are continuing to add public EV charging bays across Renfrewshire to support the switch to low emission vehicles. There are currently 72 public charging bays with a further 54 planned in 2022. Reusable Period Products: partnering with a social enterprise to enable everyone in Renfrewshire who uses period products to order reusables – pants, pads and cups – via an online ordering service. All period products provided by Renfrewshire Council are biodegradable, recyclable or reusable. We are also piloting reusable products within schools. Educational Settings Meals Services: delivery models have changed with metal cutlery and ceramic plates, and we are at nearly 100% no single use plastics in nursery and primary estate. We are also looking at initiatives like bamboo cutlery for secondary schools which by their nature have more of a take-away type service. Energy from Waste & Diversion from Landfill: the Clyde Valley Residual Waste Partnership (Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire Councils) is the largest, most successful collaboration of a joint waste processing facility in Scotland. It not only diverts waste from landfill but produces energy from waste – generating the enough energy to power the equivalent of 32,391 homes and demonstrating the value of reuse and recovery in a circular economy. Renfrewshire’s Climate Panel: following the residents’ climate survey, Renfrewshire’s Climate Panel was established. This is a representative sample of citizens to identify priority areas, opportunities and explore barriers and solutions associated with our journey to net zero and takes into consideration the voices and views of a range of people with different needs and experiences. Community Climate Fund: awards of up to £3K to community organisations to develop localised, green projects tailored to the needs of individual communities to encourage participation and raise awareness of the climate emergency within our communities, with initiatives designed and delivered by local residents but supported by the Council. New Biodiversity Areas: we are creating 8 new wildlife-friendly environments in 2022, with 33 sites in total over the next 3 years. The first 8 areas are in Linwood, Erskine, Johnstone, Inchinnan, Lochwinnoch and Paisley and include roadside wildflower corridors, wildflower areas and new native tree planting. Clyde Climate Forest: as part of the Clyde Climate Forest, we will deliver climate and ecological benefits to the Glasgow City Region by planting 10 trees for every man, woman and child over the next decade. It is estimated the new urban forest will remove over 55 tonnes of CO2 for every year of its lifespan. WORK ON THE GO & PROJECTS TO DATE: Since declaring a climate emergency, Renfrewshire Council has already undertaken many operational changes that are within our control as an organisation, as well as larger scale regional projects
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The Plan for Net Zero will be a result of collaborative work - led by the Council, but co-designed with public, private and community organisations working collectively on an area- wide effort to bring about increased quality of lives while living within a smaller carbon footprint overall. Consultation with all stakeholders is essential across all phases in the design and delivery of the Plan for Net Zero. Two-way communication channels will remain in place as projects and activities are implemented to ensure everyone is informed of progress and can provide feedback on our collective journey to net zero. In addition to ongoing stakeholder engagement, our 5 key actions for Phase 2 are: 1. Detailed Phased Road Map to 2030: we will look strategically and holistically across the whole Renfrewshire area to identify opportunities and solutions and to set targets, which will be highlighted in the form of a road map with to aid communication with all our stakeholders. Projected Completion Date: 31st March 2023. 2. Quantified Delivery Plans: we will set out costed, area based phased delivery plans with benchmark capital costs for each period of the Net Zero road map and will quantify and consider all impacts of the proposed delivery plans, including those that cannot be monetised (e.g. carbon reduction, fuel poverty alleviation, job opportunities). Projected Completion Date: These costed delivery plans will be prioritise and phased between 31st March 2023 and 31st October 2023. 3. Verifying, adopting and updating our emissions modelling tool: we will quantify the impact of the phased actions, to inform future targets and present data in an interactive way. Projected Completion Date: Annual updates from 1st November 2023 as projects and new technologies are delivered. 4. Developing a carbon budget for Renfrewshire Council: Identifying our emissions by service area will be key in improving our understanding of how our emissions relate to the services we provide and the reductions we need to aim for in order to adapt to delivering high quality local services in a way that is fit for a resilient, net zero future. Projected Completion Date: 6th April 2024. 5. Developing an Adaptation Plan for Renfrewshire: Developing adaptation solutions and implementing a phased programme of priority actions which are designed to respond to and address the local impacts of climate change that are already happening, as well as prepare for future climate risks across the Renfrewshire area. These actions will be centred around communities, security and resilience, infrastructure and our local environment. Projected Completion Date: 31st October 2023. How will we measure success? It is critical that we have an open and transparent methodology for monitoring, evaluating and reporting progress annually. Each focus area has its own metrics of success which can be quantified and measured in isolation, but which also combine to measure our journey to net zero. We will set annual emissions targets to align with our phased road map, and which are designed to measure progress to our net zero target. Metrics of success will be updated as required as new technologies or improved reporting practices come on stream during the Plan for Net Zero. Transparency and openness: ensuring all stakeholders can track progress and access the RenZero modelling tool using an open data platform. In recognition that we need coordinated action across areas and sectors to deliver the scale of change required, our emissions modelling tool and reporting will be used to inform future targets and to present data in an interactive way. How will we recognise delivery at a local level? RenZero branding has been developed to visibly highlight projects, activities and initiatives that contribute to our net zero goal. There are various icons that link climate change issues, action and progress across the 5 focus areas of the Plan. This branding is for everyone participating in our journey to net zero. It will be used to highlight action taken by the Council but also can be used by stakeholders to highlight action being delivered by the wider community, showing how we are all contributing collectively to our net zero goal and allowing us to raise awareness and reach a wider audience. NEXT STEPS: We will continue to engage with all our stakeholders as we head into the next phase of the Plan for Net Zero, build on existing activities and identify new opportunities to accelerate change Please get involved and let us know what you think about the areas of focus, issues or opportunities within your community and what you would like to see locally to shape the Plan for Net Zero: climate@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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Adaptation: the process of adjusting economic, social or natural systems in response to current or expected effects of climate change to limit harmful consequences and exploit beneficial opportunities. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): the most abundant greenhouse gas (making up around ⅔ of greenhouse gases). It is naturally occurring but is also a by-product of human activities such as burning fossil fuels, land-use changes and other industrial processes and contributes to climate change and global warming. It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and therefore has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1. Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e): a metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP). Carbon Emissions: the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Carbon Footprint: the total amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere from activities each year by a person, building or organisation. Carbon Offsetting: the process of compensating for carbon dioxide emissions arising from activities by participating in schemes which remove equivalent levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, e.g. tree planting, carbon capture, peat bogs. Climate Change: refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time, including major changes in temperature, rainfall and severe weather patterns that occur over several decades or longer. Decarbonisation: the reduction or removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere resulting from human activity, with the eventual goal of minimising emissions as far as possible. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): gives information on how energy efficient a building (including homes) is; how it could be improved; and an environmental impact rating to show CO2 emissions. Buildings are rated on a scale of A to G, with A being the most energy efficient. An EPC is required for new buildings/homes; when you are selling a building/home; or when renting to a new tenant. Fossil fuels: non-renewable energy sources formed from fossilised plants and animals over millions of years such as coals, oil and gas. Fuel Poverty: defined as any household spending more than 10% of their income on energy after housing costs have been deducted. Greenhouse Gases: any gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming and climate change. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. Landfill: a waste disposal site in which waste is generally spread in thin layers on an area of land, compacted and covered with soil to decompose, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere Low Carbon: an activity causing or resulting in only a relatively small net release of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 or CO2e) into the atmosphere. Mitigation: activities and intervention which lessen future climate change and its social, economic and environmental consequences by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. Net Zero Emissions: when greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by removals over a specified period. Resilience: the capacity to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, absorb and recover from the stresses imposed by climate change from significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to social well-being, the economy and the environment. Renewable energy: energy resources that are naturally replenishing such as biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean thermal, wave action and tidal action. Sequestration: the process by which trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide, release the oxygen, and store the carbon. GLOSSARY OF TERMS: