WORKING / Introduction

WHAT ACTIONS RELATE TO YOU?

Buildings

Develop a long term programme for retrofitting public and commercial buildings across the city.

Create a portfolio of substantial commercial and public sector retrofit projects, such as the Town Hall, which pilot innovation, exemplify best practice.

Launch a 'Two Degree Challenge' for building owners to turn thermostats up/down depending on the season.

Switching off at night to achieve zero energy use in empty buildings.

Exemplar buildings will be rewarded with Green Plaques to show their commitment to carbon reduction.

Lobby for the roll out of Display Energy Certificates (DECs) to commercial buildings.

Help selected large organisations to achieve zero waste to landfill from their buildings by 2020.

Business Management

Engage with businesses to move towards closed loop production

Businesses will be signed up to the highest Carbon Trust standards

Businesses will be signed up to the Buy Recycled Code

Businesses will be signed up to the Environmental Business Pledge

Encourage and support the uptake and development of easy-to-use Building Management Systems

Establish a business emissions reduction strategy for the city

Develop networks for sectors and companies to act together on sustainability and develop realistic and effective standards

Promote low-carbon business practices through existing partnerships and alliances, and dialogue between businesses, property owners and occupiers

Support SMEs in seizing the low-carbon business opportunities

Food

Implement the Government's food packaging strategy for England.

Support the development of a Northwest food plan ensuring it meets the needs of Manchester consumers and businesses, increases the capacity of regional growers and improves the supply chain to enable residents to buy more sustainable food.

Create and support social enterprises to develop the growth of urban agriculture and market gardening.

Develop and implement a food sustainability quality mark for the catering and restaurant industry, carbon reduction as key driver.

Homes

Provide usable billing information to inform energy savings.

Innovation and Finance

Investigate the potential development of performance related incentives for businesses to divert commercial and industrial waste from landfills to alternative waste management processes, particularly re-use and recycling.

Strengthen financial incentives for building owners and commercial occupiers.

Roll-out a pilot Smart Energy Business District to test the application of smart meters to an area of the city dominated by SMEs, with the potential to expand it citywide.

Jobs, Enterprise and Training

Develop the infrastructure to enable an increase in local food production, both commercially and within the community.

Encourage and support community groups to implement their own plans for reducing energy use towards zero/low carbon communities, including clear and simple advice on project development, obtaining funding, and a programme of incentives.

Save over 350,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year by 2020 through a major programme of retrofitting domestic buildings with energy efficiency and home energy generation measures. Develop and implement best practice in retrofit.

Support the growth of repairs and servicing businesses.

Become the UK's Low Carbon Economic Area for the Built Environment.

Develop the city region as a centre of excellence for low carbon construction skills Provide a centre of excellence for green collar skills and training for the construction industry.

Continue to implement community work through the CO₂mmunity Challenge and roll out across the whole of Manchester.

Encourage low carbon green business into the city Establish Manchester as a centre for 'low carbon businesses', creating opportunities in the green collar economy for businesses and individuals and anticipate and influence the market for 'low carbon technologies', stimulating innovation and investment.

Investigate potential for reduced business rates to encourage low carbon businesses into city; or align business rates with energy efficiency.

During the lifetime of this plan, the actions needed are of such urgency that they will require major changes in our homes, streets and workplaces. Some of these changes will come at a cost, but they will bring opportunities that Manchester must turn to its advantage.

Manchester will focus its priorities on increasing employment, and developing its position as a sustainable, world-class business city. We will invest in those looking to further low carbon ambitions and more opportunities will exist for research, innovation and new products.

New legislation will have shifted the practices of building owners and managers. City businesses will use standards like the Environmental Business Pledge, the Buy Recycled Code and the Carbon Trust. ‘Carbon Accounting’ will be routine business.

For the city that gave the world free trade, co-operation and an industrial revolution, Manchester will succeed, through enterprise and ambition, in this low carbon future.