Important new piece of work from @McrClimate - sets out huge challenge facing city to halve carbon emissions in next 5 years - says ‘Manchester ‘not currently on track to deliver its climate change objectives despite many actions across the city’. Long Thread /
@McrClimate For 1st time puts @manairport squarely in spotlight - comparison as follows:
Manchester direct emissions - 2 million tonnes pa
Manchester Airport emissions - 3.55 mt pa (0.9mt GM residents ie 25% (waiting confirmation)
Manchester indirect emissions - 3.4mt pa (approx data only)
Manchester direct emissions - 2 million tonnes pa
Manchester Airport emissions - 3.55 mt pa (0.9mt GM residents ie 25% (waiting confirmation)
Manchester indirect emissions - 3.4mt pa (approx data only)
@McrClimate @manairport ie airport emissions (includes flying!) about 60% higher than city's direct emissions (ie transport, energy, heating etc), and about same as indirect emissions (stuff we buy from elsewhere so emissions made there eg China, Europe) though indirect figs are estimates
@McrClimate @manairport Clearly shows moral responsibility of airport owners @ManCityCouncil (35%) & other 9 GM councils (29%) to carry out urgent review of current huge expansion which is incompatible with global Paris Agreement on climate ( highlighted by Salford Star today salfordstar.com/article.asp?id… )
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Calls on Manchester Airports Group and @ManCityCouncil to ‘work with UK government to develop a UK aviation strategy in line with Paris Agreement' (which governments agreed to act to limit global heating well below 2 deg)
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Says ‘any proposed development @manairport must be consistent with Paris Agreement, taking into account the 1,200m tonne budget for UK aviation and 15m tonne budget for Manchester’ (which it currently doesn’t, with massive growth planned from 28m passengers pa to 38m by 2030)
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Report says Manchester residents responsible for 0.17 mt pa from airport (ie c5%) but avoids huge moral question of GM councils’ ownership of such a huge carbon emitter - for which city now relies on for income of £60m a year. ie....
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil ...how do our citizens & councillors feel about making money - needed as it is - from causing climate breakdown? What is plan for transitioning off relying on this growing airport income directly linked to rising Co2 from increase in flights?
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Report highlights there is lots of benefit to be had from moving to low carbon society - eg says low-carbon economic sector is growth area providing well-paid jobs in which GM could be leader - currently 45k ppl employed on average salary of £38k, well above national average
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil And says city needs to develop own sources of renewable electricity - currently Manchester only produces 1% from renewable sources - which could also provide jobs/income as well as green power
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Highlights a few of the big specific challenges in housing, energy and transport:
(most of data already published via GM Green Plan launched in 2019 but handy summary of the scale of this...)
(most of data already published via GM Green Plan launched in 2019 but handy summary of the scale of this...)
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Housing: ‘All new developments to be zero carbon from 2023 at the latest’ (this date new). But 80% of buildings that'll be around in 2050 up already, so need massive retrofit programme - upgrade insulation & heating in 11,500 of Manchester’s 226,000 homes every year (ie 6% pa)
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Energy: Need 50% of all homes in Manchester to have solar panels by 2024 and for 13,600 homes to be connected to low carbon heat sources every year
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Transport: ‘Where private vehicles needed, must be electric’. By 2035 = no fossil fuel vehicles left in city. Public transport massively revamped as ‘current system falls well short of what's needed’. This where most residents want most action - 47% want better public transport.
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Indeed says 75% of city’s residents concerned about climate crisis (15% extremely, 21% very, 39% somewhat) & is ‘clear need for more info for residents’. 44% of residents said council and partners needed to increase awareness, 42% want help to understand how to reduce impact.
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Climate stats I'd not seen before: says climate projections say by 2050, winter rainfall in Manchester could increase by 30%, summer hot days by 6 degrees. Says has been a 52% increase in floods in last 23 years.
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Final thoughts: New report ('framework') is welcome work, and restates already-known challenges in simple terms, with a new focus on Manchester Airport, and huge moral dilemma of city profits v emissions ...
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil And it reveals that following new task groups will be set up: (health; economy; adaptation + a ‘system to consistently measure & report performance across city’). However does still seem to be worrying lack of mechanism for cross-sector delivery / solutions to the challenges...
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil Especially seeing as Manchester Climate Partnership hasn't shared much about what it's doing lately and is currently without a chair...
@McrClimate @manairport @ManCityCouncil And while does call on authorities to ‘deploy all powers’ also puts onus on individuals to ‘proactively set out help they need’, which won’t happen without greater focus & resource on engaging public + clear & bold enabling policies from authorities, esp on transport. Thread end
