WINTER 2021
CarbonNeutralNottingham2028
@CN2028
CIAL E P S ION T I D E
What is COP26 ‘We Support’ pledges FREE solar energy
A message from Director of Carbon Reduction, Energy and Sustainability, Wayne Bexton
“
I’m delighted that we can share the fantastic work that is happening on carbon reduction and sustainability across the City, helping us be the first carbon neutral City in the UK by 2028 and become the second carbon neutral City in Europe, just behind Copenhagen who plan to be carbon neutral by 2025. Here you’ll read about our work on tackling fuel poverty, sustainable travel, green spaces and renewable energy. I hope you find the articles inspiring and if you aren’t already involved and would like to be we’d be delighted to hear from you and add you to our regular carbon neutral newsletter mailing list, click here to get our newsletter.
The challenge of climate change Global temperatures are rising, weather patterns are changing, polar ice is melting, and sea level is rising. Climate has changed throughout Earth’s long history, but this time it’s different. Human activity is causing worldwide temperatures to rise higher at a faster rate than any time we know of in the past.
Can we make a difference by changing the way we live? Yes. The choices we make today could reduce the chances of the most serious potential consequences. But it will take everyone working together around the world. 2
The latest government figures published in 2021, show that Nottingham: The city has reduced its overall CO2 emissions (since 2005) by In 2019, Nottingham produced
1.105
44.2%
Reduced its per capita emissions by
52.3%
tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO2)
t ighes The h tion of c u d e re r K co any U ity c
On average, CO2 emissions have reduced at
3.95% EVER HOW
per year between 2005 and 2019
there is a long way to go, with over a 22% reduction required year on year to reach carbon neutrality by 2028.
TRANSPORT IN NOTTINGHAM In 2019, 31% of Nottingham’s total CO2 emissions came from our transport network of which, nearly all comes from cars, vans, lorries and buses. Action is needed to reduce car journeys, increase cycling and walking, improve public transport and transition to more low emission vehicles. Through this, we can achieve better air quality, mobility and health for our citizens.
Current activities, actions and programmes:
Workplace Parking Levy (WPL)
Investment in biogas and electric bus fleet
Personal journey planning and shared transport solutions
45% Hackney and private hire vehicle strategy
30% of Nottingham City Council owned fleet is ULEV, 100% by 2028
Go Ultra Low Nottingham – building charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Electric Van Experience The Electric Van Experience (EVE) is a unique opportunity for Nottinghambased businesses to test drive a range of electric vans. With the Government ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles brought forward to 2030, we want to support businesses to make the switch to electric vehicles. Not only are they more environmentally friendly, but they’re cheaper to run and maintain too. We’re offering city businesses, as well as voluntary and public sector organisations, in the city the chance to try one of 50 electric vans to suit their needs, including provision
of a charge point at the business premises. This will give businesses and organisations the chance to experience first-hand the financial and environmental benefits of greener vehicles, and provide operational confidence to make a permanent switch. As the number of electric vehicles increases, the amount of harmful emissions on our roads decreases – resulting in cleaner air and helping to make our city carbon neutral. This opportunity has been made possible thanks to support and funding from National Highways, who have given Nottingham City Council £2.69m to deliver the service.
Click here to visit our website to find out more and to see if you are eligible 3
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Nottingham has over 135,000 domestic properties of which around 26,000 are social housing owned by the City Council. Since 2012, over 7,000 social and private hard-to-treat homes have been insulated with over 4,000 social housing properties benefiting from solar panels. In 2020/21, Nottingham City Council secured over £13m funding for domestic energy efficiency retrofits with over 1,200 homes set to benefit from the domestic retrofit programme.
In the coming decade, Nottingham will have to improve the efficiency of all buildings to reduce the demand for energy. We will need to heat our buildings with low carbon and/or renewable heating, change our behaviours towards energy reduction and increase the adoption of energy efficiency technologies in both commercial and domestic buildings. Current activities, actions & programmes:
Over 40,000 energy efficiency measures in local homes Nottingham City Homes have installed 14,221 boilers, 4,140 loft installations and 12,588 cavity wall measures A project called REMOURBAN has involved treating over 400 homes with energy saving measures to make them warmer and reduced energy bills The delivered efficiencies within the District Heating Scheme network have enabled new connections to take place.
LOWER YOUR BILLS WITH FREE SOLAR ENERGY 4
The Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme aims to fit solar panels to around 655 properties in the city. Low-income homeowners and private renters in Nottingham can apply to have solar panels fitted to their properties free of charge, in a bid to reduce energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.
To find out more, to request an Energy Performance Certificate or to apply for funding call 0115 666 7298 or email customersupport@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
ENERGY GENERATION Nottingham has been active in helping to decarbonise electricity. For instance, by December 2020, over 6,400 solar photovoltaic (PV) installations had been deployed across the city. We will need to take action to significantly expand local low carbon sources of energy with the capacity to store energy within the city and to be recognised as a test bed for new energy generating technologies.
Current activities, actions and programmes:
An extensive heat network linked to Energy-from-Waste Solar PV programme on City Council owned estate and on properties across the city Nottingham has pioneered innovative approaches to renewables, such as solar carports, and working with partners to combine solar PV with domestic, community and commercial energy storage facilities Nottingham hosts the government (BEIS) funded Midlands Energy Hub to develop local energy action, and is working with partners to support the D2N2 Energy Strategy Broadmarsh PV will generate 190,000 Kwh per year, enough to power over 50 domestic homes.
GRANTS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS
reduce its carbon footprint Nottingham City Council’s Accelerating Reduction in Carbon (ARC) project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund will help small and medium sized businesses located in Greater Nottingham to decarbonise. ARC gives grants to help businesses invest in measures such as LED lighting and heating upgrades, installation of energy efficient cooling systems, insulation and production of renewable energy that lead to cost and carbon savings. To find out more about how we can help your business email the ARC project team at david.kelly@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or call us on 0115 841 4271
We can offer eligible businesses grants of between £1,000 and £16,000 to fund 35% of the cost of installing carbon reduction measures. 5
CONSUMPTION The goods we buy have emissions involved in their manufacturing and transport, with items often being shipped from around the world. Food and drink in particular have a big impact on wider and imported emissions, as well as the wider environment and our use of finite resources. Areas for reducing emissions include reducing meat and dairy, reducing transport miles, and sourcing from less energy intensive forms of production. Current activities, actions & programmes: Development of a sustainable food strategy for Nottingham Use of local suppliers by Nottingham City Council’s Catering Services to reduce food miles and reducing food waste in school kitchens Reducing single-use consumption products, particularly plastics
ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
TOP TIPS Try Meat Free Mondays, just reducing meat and dairy can have a big impact on emissions Put your purchasing power to good use by choosing brands that align with green aspirations Shop around for second-hand or quality items that last a long time Give unwanted items a new life by donating them to charity or selling them on Our Tiny forest pro jects continue with a vie w to planting towards the end of 2021
Climate change is resulting in reduced biodiversity, reduced habitats and increased pressure on all natural and green spaces. The pandemic has shown how important our green spaces, with their plants and animals, are for helping us connect with nature and provide peace and solace from the difficult times, as well critically playing a significant role in reduction of adverse impacts from climate change.
6
We have planted 14,500 new trees so far with an aim of planting 50,000 trees in total by 2023.
We have reduced the number of times we mow the grass in some areas to allow more wildflowers to grow attracting more bees and insects to pollinate the flowers
COP26 COP26 is the annual UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties. This year COP is being held under the presidency of the UK and will be hosted in Glasgow, from 31st October – 12th November. This is the largest event of its type that the UK has ever hosted. The climate talks will bring together heads of state, climate experts and campaigners to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change. Our Director of Carbon Reduction, Energy and Sustainability, Wayne Bexton, will be attending COP26 to share best practice from Nottingham, look to create stronger links with other cities and lever further investment into the City. Wayne will be presenting on how to make investment in net zero viable and discussing some of the innovative technologies deployed in Nottingham which make it the most sustainable city in the UK, including:
Domestic Property Retrofit Large Scale battery storage Solar PV District Heating Fuel Cells Sustainable Transport initiatives. Wayne will also be meeting with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to discuss the fantastic success of the Midlands Energy Hub which Nottingham City Council host.
WATER & WASTE Only 7.1% of Nottingham city waste ends up on landfill though with the vast majority that cannot be recycled going to be incinerated. Nottingham City Council has saved over 96,000m3 of water during 2020/21 by identifying leaks and better water management. In 2018-19, 113,000 tonnes of household waste was produced by Nottingham, of which 26.5% was reused, recycled or composted, 64.5% was sent for energy recovery; and 7.0% was sent for landfill. Actions are needed to reduce the volume of all waste and eliminate it from landfill, increase the reuse and recycling of waste, and use the rest for energy. Water use must be managed effectively.
TOP TIPS Spend 1 less minute in the shower and save £30 a year Buy a reusable bottle and take advantage of refill stations across the city Compost your food waste at home or in a community garden Washing up with a sink bowl uses on average 60% less water than leaving the tap running 7
Sign up to rewards
Take part in activities to earn green points
Climb the leader board
Win prizes and help reduce carbon emissions
8
notts.greenrewards.co.uk
A message from Deputy Leader Councillor Sally Longford, and Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment and Waste Services
“
I hope you enjoyed finding out about all the amazing work we are already doing in Nottingham to help us reach our goal to be a carbon neutral city by 2028. Clearly, we all can do and need to do even more. It really is about everyone who lives and works in Nottingham playing their part now and doing all they can to reduce their carbon emissions. I know many of you are already finding ways to live more sustainably and I thank you for this and so together, we can make Nottingham the city we want to live in now and for future generations.
FOR NOTTINGHAM TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2028
WE NEED YOU! We are asking Nottingham businesses to make a pledge to our We Support campaign, so far we have over 40 local Nottingham businesses signed up and pledged their actions. Let us know what you are doing to cut your carbon footprint and support Nottingham on our journey to reach our ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2028.
To make your pledge email:
climatechange@nottinghamcity.gov.uk 9