Over 1,000 homes a day could be retrofitted with low-carbon
efficiency measures by councils by 2030 - reducing energy bills
by nearly £700 million – with the right investment and support, a
revolutionary new plan unveiled by the Local Government
Association sets out today.
Councils are a unique and powerful partner in achieving net zero,
able to impact on more than a third of all emissions from
villages, towns and cities, such as through housing, transport
and the natural environment.
Ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow starting at the end of the
month, a new report commissioned by the LGA, Delivering
local net zero, sets out the case for why councils are
best-placed to deliver green infrastructure projects in local
communities, which would support the Government’s ambition to
level up, build back better and tackle the climate emergency.
The LGA is calling on the Government to use next week’s Spending
Review to begin work with councils and businesses on a national
fiscal and policy framework to address the climate
emergency.
With the right powers and investment of £12.2 billion by 2030,
the LGA report sets out how councils can:
- Retrofit 3.49 million homes with energy efficiency measures
by 2030, 2.34 million more than under the current plan –
amounting to on average 1,017 homes retrofitted each day that
would save £698 million per year from energy bills;
- Create the warmer and comfortable homes and buildings that
would reduce costs to the NHS by £1.9 billion every year;
- Support almost 31,000 new, skilled jobs in the construction
and retrofitting industries.
The LGA said the Spending Review and COP26 summit should mark the
beginning of a new climate change partnership between central and
local government, and see a new approach to investment that gives
councils the long-term funding to decarbonise building stock,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport and deliver clean
energy projects.
In order to safely meet the Committee on Climate Change’s
balanced pathway to net zero, further investment is needed
to help councils shift 1.5 billion journeys from cars to
walking or cycling in England by 2030.
In addition, councils are key to delivering clean energy projects
through the planning system, and so having the resource and
capability to continue the provision of renewable energy and heat
networks will be fundamental to meeting net zero.
Following today’s announcement on reducing carbon emissions from
heating homes and other buildings, as part of a wider government
strategy to achieve net zero, Cllr David Renard, LGA environment
spokesperson, said:
“Climate change requires significant international, national, and
local leadership, but only councils can mobilise and join-up the
collective action in the places people live their lives and where
businesses do their business.
“This report sets out the significant strides we can take to
reducing carbon emissions with the right investment and resources
for councils in the Spending Review, which would also save
millions on energy bills for households and businesses.
“From decarbonising building stock, reducing the number of car
journeys and delivering clean energy projects, councils have
influence over a third of emissions from their areas and have a
pivotal role to play in addressing the climate emergency.”
Case studies: How councils are taking local action to
reduce carbon emissions
Leeds City Council currently has one of the
largest local authority fleets with 380 electric vehicles (EVs),
45 of which are being used by local businesses as part of an EV
Trials Scheme to encourage wider uptake. After taking part in the
Trials scheme, 50 per cent of organisations have told the council
that they’re now considering switching to zero emission vehicles.
North Somerset Council plans to rewild as
much of its land as possible, following a public consultation
held in 2019/20, creating new habitats and enabling wildlife to
thrive.
Lancaster City Council declared a Climate
Emergency in January 2019, at which point the Local Plan had been
submitted and it was not possible to be significantly amended.
The Local Plan was adopted in July 2020, and the Council
immediately entered a Climate Emergency partial review to ensure
that climate change mitigation and adaptation become fundamental
to placemaking in the District. Following a scoping consultation,
32 policies were highlighted for review, improvement, and
strengthening. The policies encompass the themes of sustainable
design, energy efficiency and renewable energy, sustainable
transport, green and blue infrastructure, heritage, and water
management.
City of York Council is delivering a new build
housing programme with all homes built to achieve zero carbon in
use. The homes in the programme will be built to Passivhaus
certification, ensuring high thermal efficiency. The first homes
will be complete in 2022.
Notes to editors
The report focusses on the
2.9 million fuel poor homes and additional 600,000 council
housing that require retrofitting to achieve the energy
efficiency rating EPC C.
