Watch this space, is all we are saying for now…
Meanwhile, here’s the Council’s “plan” for the coming year
BUILDINGS AND ENERGY
4.16 Asset rationalisation is estimated to contribute savings of 1,810 tonnes CO 2 and £365k of energy and CRC costs in-year (equivalent to full year savings of 3,621 tonnes CO 2 and £730k of energy and CRC costs). [Tues 30 July – See Top Trump here]
4.17 Voltage optimizers will be installed in 4 buildings (subject to financial approvals), following preparatory work last year; these will save 234 tonnes CO 2 and £36k. [See Top Trump here.]
4.18 Internal asset management and maintenance programmes such as the Asset Management Programme, consequential repairs and air conditioning reviews will identify and implement energy saving opportunities, wherever possible. [See Top Trump here].
4.19 Energy audits will be concluded on three of the top 25 energy consuming operational buildings, and analysed with a view to establishing business cases for capital investment this year or beyond. [See Top Trump here.]
4.20 Leisure estate (39% of building emissions) will deliver savings through the Manchester Sport and Leisure Trust (MS<) and Serco partners. The Aquatics Centre will commission a study to identify energy efficient options for light replacement in the pool hall, install dry urinals and LEDs and sensors in locations throughout the site. Wythenshawe Forum will also continue their installation of LEDs, efficient pool lighting, and business cases for other works. MS< will commission energy audits in three of their major sites and deliver their wider Sustainability Action Plan. The new Beswick Leisure Centre will be delivered to BREEAM Excellent standards and low carbon credentials incorporated into future developments at Hough End and Levenshulme. [See Top Trump here.]
4.21 Markets (10% of building emissions) will focus on New Smithfield Market this year where, subject to funding approvals, a new energy efficient fish market will be built to replace the old block and condition surveys will be completed on two other market blocks.
4.22 Municipal (9% of building emissions)
The Town Hall Complex Transformation Programme will be completed in 2013/14, with crucial refinement works being undertaken to ensure the building operates as efficiently as planned, along with energy information on staff computers to enable them to take personal action to reduce energy use.
4.23 Galleries and Museums (5% of building emissions)
Manchester Art Gallery will continue their energy management trials and research to reduce consumption in the building, and will install a new revolving door to allow better control of conditions. LEDs will be installed in the final six galleries.
4.24 Street lighting – street lighting partners Amey are due to complete the replacement of signage luminaires to LEDs this year, which will produce an annual saving of 124,956 kWh and 68 tonnes of CO2 . Work will also be undertaken this year to establish an ambitious programme of LED street lighting replacement, to form part of the Council’s first three year Carbon Reduction Plan.
TRANSPORT AND MOBILITY
4.28 Reduce commuting by 1% through increasing flexible working.
4.29 Switch 5% of taxi journeys to City Car Club
4.30 Further increase staff cycling levels to 12% of journeys.
4.31 Introduce a programme of smarter driving training to reduce fleet emissions. [see top trump here]
4.32 Renew our focus on creating a sustainable built environment by ensuring planning and highways decisions maximise opportunities to create a highway network with the full range of sustainable transport options.
4.33 Implement two new 20mph areas, including a programme of behaviour change for residents in these areas.
4.34 The Council will continue to offer cycle training to all schools.
4.35 Continue to provide a City Car Club service for residents and organisations in the city, including at least 10 new vehicles this year.
4.36 Cut car journeys to school, including 800 less cars travelling to school during competitions.
4.37 Across the range of interventions, there will be a drive to boost cycling as part of the wider programme of interventions to facilitate mass cycling in GM.
CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
4.42 This year will see the finalisation of the Council’s refreshed Sustainable Procurement Policy that reflects the approach of working with suppliers to reduce their environmental impacts, and challenging unsustainable staff procurement.
It will also see the implementation of the WWF Timber Pledge and accompanying action plan – a new initiative for the Council that will seek to ensure that our timber is sourced from certified sustainably managed forests.
4.43 Key actions are planned on food which offers a huge agenda with many co-benefits including improvements to family budgets, through cooking at home and wasting less food; health and well-being, through understanding how to make healthy and affordable meals; as well as the knock on carbon reduction opportunities these interventions have. The baseline study of Sustainable Consumption and Production of food produced in 2012/13 will present the opportunity for Food Futures and other partners in the city to focus specific food activity based on a sound evidence-based approach.
4.44 Over the last 2 years, the changes to domestic bin collections have had a positive effect on recycling rates which continue to increase, whilst the volume of residual waste decreases despite a growing population. This year is also critical for decision-making around the extension or the retendering of the domestic waste collection contract; the sale of Enterprise to Ferrovial Services, the parent company of Amey, will provide better strategic support to the joint venture and should lead to service improvements. Work will be undertaken to review service specifications for both options.
4.45 New textile recycling banks for schools in Manchester through the “Recycle with Michael” project builds upon the successful introduction of food recycling. Up to 150 schools will receive a recycling bank from the Salvation Army in a joint initiative with the Council.
GREEN AND BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE
4.50 Produce a citywide Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy that captures the extent of GI in the city and provides the platform for developing a full understanding the value of GI to the city, and which will help drive the delivery and enhancement of new and existing GI over the next 15 years.
4.51 The development of a programme of GI focussed research and study projects.
4.52 A Manchester Standard for city parks and green spaces.
4.53 Three pilot ‘meanwhile’ projects for transforming underused development land into areas for temporary productive uses.
4.54 An extensive programme of tree, hedge and orchard planting across the city.
4.55 £500,000 physical environmental improvement projects at Harpurhey Reservoirs and in the River Medlock in East Manchester.
4.56 An innovative environmental engagement project at Clayton Vale.
4.57 The designation of one new Local Nature Reserve and one new Site of Biological Importance.
SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES
4.65 Support schools through the Eco-Schools programme, in particular aim for 3 more Green Flag schools (20 in total) across the city, which will ensure they have committed to reducing their energy consumption and introducing a sustainable procurement policy.
4.66 Engage with 30 teachers and 70 pupils at the annual Eco-Schools conference, to inspire more children to live a low carbon lifestyle and ensure teachers operate their buildings more sustainably.
4.67 Put in place mechanisms to enable more information sharing, best practice and action planning across a wide range of Council officers and head teachers.
4.68 Development of a schools energy database, capturing all information from energy use, building fabric, current features and campaigns in the school.
Analysis of this will enable longer-term programmes of carbon reduction works to be developed, including better links between capital and behavioural change projects delivered by MCC, individual schools and partners.
4.69 Provide technical advice and support to schools when there are opportunities to improve their energy efficiency, whether through physical changes or better management systems.
4.70 To embed sustainability into the design process of refurbishments, extensions, or new school buildings.
CROSS-CUTTING PROGRAMMES
4.78 In 2013/14 there will therefore be a refresh of Low Carbon Plans, both top-down, at a Directorate level, and bottom-up, from an individual team level. The Green Impact project that has been implemented for the last three years has provided teams with the tools to voluntarily develop and deliver Team Low Carbon Plans, and has seen a near doubling of teams participating from 2011/12 to 2012/13.
This team-based approach will be rolled out through the implementation of the Council’s Manchester Carbon Literacy programme, incorporating the key elements of Green Impact.
4.79 In 2013/14 teams located in the Town Hall Complex and Heron House will be the first to receive Carbon Literacy training and develop their Team Low Carbon Plans. Stages 2 (in 2014/15) and 3 (in 2015/16) of the programme will also be designed this year, with priority given to those teams located in the top energy consuming buildings.
4.80 External Campaigns and Climate Week 2014 – the Council will continue to support a range of citywide campaigns, culminating in support for Climate Week, which is scheduled to place from 3-9th March 2014. The Council will deliver at least five events during the week in conjunction with a variety of partners, and support others through advertising their events and campaigns. Promotion for Climate Week will be digital, through staff intranet pages, e-bulletins and an internet page for residents and organisations.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
4.82 The virtualisation of servers in the Sharp Data Centre will be further built upon by the potential of transferring some of our services to the ‘Cloud’, where appropriate. While this means that we will be transferring energy usage to external companies, it provides the benefit of allowing those external companies to utilise their economies of scale in terms of energy efficiency, whilst reducing the Council’s overall energy consumption.
4.84 The infrastructure to allow “Follow-You” printing to be rolled out as a mandatory function across the Council is currently being put in place and will be rolled out by the end of 2013/14. This will help to reduce the levels of printing.
4.85 The project for Employee and Manager Self Service is entering its implementation phase and will complete before the end of the year. This will facilitate outcomes such as the ability to view payslips on-line, reducing the need to print and post them to staff. The Council will also implement “universal access”, meaning that all employees will have access to this and other functionality such as the viewing of electronic communications, reducing the need to print and post.
4.86 The technologies currently being implemented will enable the Council to introduce Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). While staff using their own devices does not reduce the amount of energy used, it will reduce the number of devices the Council purchases, therefore reducing the emissions involved in production.
manchester climate monthly 