In this guest blog post from Devon County Council, they explore how Local Authorities can take action to reduce emissions in their area, and how the Devon Carbon Plan is doing this.
An independent report for the Climate Change Committee, ‘Local Authorities and the Sixth Carbon Budget’ (2020), found that Local Authorities (LAs) “have powers or influence over roughly a third of emissions in their local areas.” Here we look at how LAs can reduce emissions through what they directly control, what they can influence, and what actions are most likely to be taken by individuals and communities. The report includes a figure from Coxcoon and Roberts (2020) that illustrates the scope of LAs’ influence on emissions.
Applications to Devon
Devon County Council (DCC) has a plan to reduce its own emissions, while the Devon Carbon Plan acts as ‘Devon’s roadmap to net-zero by 2050 at the latest’ to tackle emissions countywide. The plan covers a range of sectors and includes actions for individuals, communities, organisations and local policy makers. It is the result of collaboration between an independent Net-Zero Task Force (NZTF) and 30 Devon Climate Emergency (DCE) partners – of which DCC is the secretariat – including LAs, emergency responders, research institutions, utility operators and more. Between these, DCC can make the most of its direct and indirect influence for emissions reduction.
Below is a brief insight into how LAs can take action to reduce emissions in their area with examples from DCC and the Devon Carbon Plan, segmented with Coxcoon and Roberts’ (2020) scale.
Direct control
DCC has been working to reduce direct emissions from its operations since 2012 and, since 2019, has an ambitious target to be net-zero by 2030. DCC produces an annual footprint to monitor progress and has published a Carbon Reduction Plan. It includes actions to retrofit offices, electrify the fleet, and switch to LED street lighting with improved controls.
Procurement
LAs manage billion-pound budgets and employ many local people, so embedding environmental value into procurement processes is a key tool in emissions reduction. DCC is working on a Low Carbon Procurement Strategy, which aligns with the Devon Carbon Plan’s goal for procurement by Anchor Institutions1 to contribute to Net-Zero. Additionally, DCC won £3.7 million earlier this year to decarbonise the construction and maintenance of the A382 link road development as part of the Live Labs 2 programme. The pilot scheme will test different low carbon materials and processes.
Place shaping
Local Plans are a significant way LAs engage in place shaping. Devon County Council is collaborating with the Devon and Cornwall Planning Officers Group to monitor and progress actions in the Devon Carbon Plan which guide LAs to demonstrate how their local plans will contribute to radical reductions in emissions as a primary planning objective.
Another opportunity for place shaping is the creation of a Devon Energy Planning Group earlier this year – currently chaired by DCC with representatives from LAs and other organisations with key roles in Devon’s energy landscape.
Showcasing
Sharing good practice, replicating effective projects and demonstrating innovation can inspire further action and encourage knowledge exchange. DCC’s Green Innovation Fund has supported projects that are forecast to save around 100,000 tonnes of carbon over the next ten years. For example, Devon-based Altilium Metals are now the only company in the UK recovering critical battery minerals from waste EV batteries.
The Net Zero Visions project invites communities to imagine what their areas could look like as net-zero in 2050 in collaboration with DCE, the University of Plymouth and local commissioned artists. It has resulted in the creation of murals, illustrations, poetry, an animation and a game, all to inspire Devon to think big about a net-zero future, helping DCC to spur action beyond the organisation.
The Net Zero Visions mural on the Sustainability Hub, University of Plymouth
Partnerships
DCC is an active part of several partnerships across the county. As mentioned, DCC provides the secretariat to the DCE partnership which includes Torbay and Plymouth, as well as working closely with the Torbay Climate Partnership and the Plymouth Net Zero Partnership. DCC is also part of the Devon Food Partnership, the Naturally Healthy initiative, and the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Climate Impacts Group (focusing on climate adaptation as a companion to mitigation measures). Through these, DCC can support a wider range of initiatives for emissions reduction and encourage a cohesive approach to tackling emissions between key organisations in the county.
Involving, engaging and communicating
The DCE partnership offers an opening to bring in knowledge and experience from further afield, including two universities and the Met Office. For example, the partnership’s NZTF was chaired by an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports based at the University of Exeter.
The Devon Carbon Plan was created through a series of public engagement events, most notably a demographically representative Citizen’s Assembly. DCE uses social media, an email newsletter, and a blog of ‘Taking Action’ posts to encourage public involvement in reducing emissions. DCE also participates in events such as the Devon County Show.
There is much still to do in Devon as we work towards net-zero and DCC remains engaged in networks of LAs so that we can continue to learn from others and to share our experience.