MANCHESTER'S CLIMATE CHANGE ASKS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

The 2022 Update to Manchester’s Climate Change Framework identified a series of actions that we need national government to take to enable us to go further and faster locally towards our climate change targets. These have been prioritised and grouped under seven key themes:

infographic summarising Manchesters ask of national government

MANCHESTERS ASKS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

  • The document below gives Manchester’s stakeholders a guide for conversations with political parties of all stripes over the coming months and in the lead-up to the next general election, to ensure we are making consistent, clear and bold demands of government. 

  • Manchester’s Asks of National Government

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DELIVER IN PARTNERSHIP

  • Swift, effective climate action requires partnership at every level of every sector. Manchester’s Climate Change Partnership has pioneered a successful model which brings public institutions, the private sector and civil society together in common action for the common good. We call on Government to commit to adding its considerable weight to our Partnership, and to work with equivalent Partnerships in other UK cities, to deliver a clean, green, sustainable economy and healthy society in which everyone can thrive.

  • Support Cities towards Net Zero:

    • Provide support and resources to cities to accelerate progress towards achieving net-zero emissions.

    • Foster collaboration among cities in the UK, Europe, and globally to share knowledge and innovations in combating climate change.

    • Work in partnership with local businesses to assist them in decarbonisation efforts, building resilience, and utilising their expertise to advance citywide action

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DELIVER CLEAN ENERGY

  • Commit to finishing the task of generating all our energy from renewable and sustainable sources, removing barriers and incentivising investment to deliver a modern comprehensive energy system by the end of this decade.

  • Enhance Finance and Support for Renewable Energy Projects:

    • Increase availability of development finance via the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) for renewable energy projects.

    • Bring forward subsidies supporting local energy generation and battery storage.

    • Clarify lending terms for the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) to include energy projects.

    Promote Carbon Reduction Efforts and Sustainable Energy:

    • Shift environmental levies on energy bills to be based on carbon impact, aligning with Climate Change Committee recommendations.

    • Explore the potential of hydrogen for decarbonising industry, transportation, and heating sectors.

    Empower Local Authorities for Zero-Carbon Goals:

    • Empower local authorities with enhanced powers and resources to undertake systems-based, area-wide planning for achieving zero-carbon goals.

    • Develop necessary infrastructure and incentives to increase renewable energy generation.

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HELP US TO ADAPT

  • Commit to comprehensive support to reduce risk and build resilience against the present, unavoidable and intensifying impacts of climate change, including flooding, extreme temperature and pressure on the supply of food, water and other vital resources.

  • Set High Ambition and Strategy:

    • Set high-level ambition for adaptation in line with the UK's net-zero target.

    • Establish a comprehensive National Resilience Strategy addressing known and emerging climate risks.

    • Strengthen accountability for the cross-Whitehall National Adaptation Strategy to embed principles across Government policy and strategy.

    Increase Climate-Resilient Investments, Standards and Disclosure:

    • Advocate for integrating climate risks into private sector infrastructure project appraisal and spending by 2025.

    • Ensure climate resilience considerations in all public capital spending, including the £650 billion National Infrastructure and Construction pipeline by 2030.

    • Develop national standards for resilient infrastructure and require infrastructure operators to maintain long-term strategies to meet standards.

    • Develop localised climate risk data to guide investment and decision-making across sectors, as recommended by The World Bank report.

    • Expand mandatory reporting via the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) by in the public sector.

    • Make reporting via the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) mandatory for both public and private sectors.

    • Ensure long-term support for Flood Re to provide affordable flood cover in household insurance policies.

    Economic and Tax Relief Measures:

    • Commission a review on the economics of climate resilience for smarter public-private investment.

    • Develop Environmental Investment Tax Relief to incentivise environmental outcomes, including adaptation.

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DELIVER A FAIR AND JUST TRANSITION

  • To deliver an environmentally sustainable economy through policies which protect the most vulnerable, create good jobs and deliver accessible, affordable public services.

  • Ensure an Equitable Transition:

    • Provide targeted support and funding for excluded communities to actively participate in the

    zero-carbon transition, particularly focusing on those who can least afford it.

    • Implement financial incentives to make sustainable options, including access to renewable energy, accessible to all, with a particular emphasis on low-income households and underserved areas.

    • Invest in sustainable industries to create local employment and community development.

    • Implement robust monitoring and reporting to track climate policy impacts on vulnerable communities.

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DELIVER CLEAN, AFFORDABLE TRANSPORT

  • Commit to comprehensively reshape personal and public transport, enabling people to make active travel the first-choice for short journeys, supporting local authorities and operators to decarbonise buses, trams and trains, delivering the national transition to electric vehicles, and driving the global transition to sustainable aviation and shipping.

  • Enhance Funding and Capacity:

    • Provide additional revenue funding for local authorities' sustainable transport strategies.

    • Implement integrated funding mechanisms for decarbonised transport.

    • Collaborate with local partners to reduce emissions across road networks.

    Incentivise Active Travel and Zero-Emission Vehicles:

    • Review tax measures to encourage active travel & zero-emission vehicles.

    • Redirect national road budget to safety and sustainable travel initiatives.

    Transition to Cleaner Public Transport:

    • Phase out new diesel buses and coaches by 2035.

    • Offer grants for second-hand electric vehicles to support lower-income households and small businesses.

    Deliver Awareness Campaigns and Support:

    • Publish Local Authority Transport Toolkits to support decarbonisation strategies.

    • Strengthen active travel messages in national campaigns and fund local efforts.

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DELIVER SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

  • Commit to an urgent expansion of efforts to improve the efficiency of all buildings to reduce emissions, make homes warmer and cheaper to run, make businesses more resilient, increase investment and create thousands of new jobs for local people.

  • Address Building Performance & Retrofit:

    • Implement UKGBC Roadmap recommendations

    • Update National Calculation Methodology (NCM) for better energy performance prediction

    • Introduce mandatory energy efficiency data disclosure for existing non-domestic buildings

    • Establish a National Retrofit Strategy with a Retrofit Delivery Authority

    • Enforce Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for all tenures at point of sale

    Provide Financial Incentives & Support:

    • Provide grants and financial products for low-income households' retrofit projects

    • Encourage banks to offer attractive options like low-interest mortgage extensions

    Promote Low Carbon Heating:

    • Redistribute environmental levies on gas and electricity to promote low carbon heating

    • Explore an earlier cut-off date for sale of gas boilers in existing homes

    • Promote quality assurance for heat pump installers and upskilling campaigns

    Incentivise Energy Performance:

    • Introduce variable stamp duty rates based on building energy performance

    • Remove VAT on refurbishment work meeting energy performance targets

    • Strengthen building regulations for energy improvement in existing dwellings

    • Reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for data accuracy

    • Require institutional investors to disclose energy and carbon performance in annual reporting

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ENABLE SUSTAINABLE CHOICES

  • Commit to measures which promote conscious consumer choices, enabling people to buy sustainably, recycle more and throw away less.

  • Support a Circular Economy:

    • Establish business support programmes for all sizes and sectors to enable organisations to reduce indirect emissions and embrace circular economy practices.

    • Ensure that regulatory frameworks are coherent and conducive to fostering a circular economy. This involves reviewing and updating regulations to support circular practices and eliminate barriers to sustainability.

    Improve Labelling:

    • Develop a standardised labelling system informing consumers about environmental and climate impacts of products, including food, enabling informed choices.

    Encourage Behaviour Change:

    • Implement national behaviour change campaigns focused on consumer choices related to goods and services that contribute significantly to consumption-based emissions. These campaigns aim to encourage sustainable consumption patterns.

    Enhance Corporate Transparency:

    • Support the development of more reliable and traceable data on indirect emissions and increase requirements for companies to disclose such emissions in their financial reporting. This enhances transparency and accountability in addressing climate impacts.

    Promote Sustainable Food Standards:

    • Uphold high-quality food standards that prioritise minimising climate impacts in trade deals, ensuring that the UK maintains sustainable practices in its food production and consumption.