On 16th January, the Our Manchester Forum kicked off the new year with a workshop on the city's zero carbon commitments. Having selected their priority topics for this year's meetings, climate change came out top as the most urgent item for discussion.
Starting with a presentation from Jonny Sadler, Programme Director at Manchester Climate Change Agency, the session focused on Forum members' current activities on climate change and the support needed to enable them to take more action to reduce carbon and adapt to climate change.
'Low Carbon Homes wants to drive the adoption of new energy-saving standards in the UK's aged housing stock by providing a unique platform. Here, professionals can share best practice and discover pioneering methodologies and products to help transform home efficiency, reduce fuel poverty and lower carbon emissions.'
One of the benefits of using science-based approach to setting climate change targets is that there's a limit to how much CO2 we can emit globally, you split it up fairly between different countries, regions, cities, etc, and then you get on with limiting yourself to only emit your fair share.
Setting targets this way means they are super ambitious, as the science demands, and just as tough to meet. Which is why Manchester is working with six other European cities on the EU-funded 'Zero Carbon Cities' project, to help us all set the right targets and get us on track for meeting them.
Manchester Climate Change Agency set up our marquee by the lake in Platt Fields Park, ready to ask all the communities that were present about their experiences with climate change.
Three key questions were written on our three trees:
We want to hear as many people's experiences with climate change, in as many communities across Manchester as possible, so as gain an insight into how best The Manchester Climate Change Agency can first and foremost help your community, and then mitigate climate change.
A 'Greener Europe'. That was one of the six priorities being discussed at this week's 'EU Week of Regions and Cities'. So a perfect opportunity to see what other cities are doing on climate change and see what's on the horizon.
Last November 2018 we helped Manchester to set new climate change targets in line with the Paris Agreement and the latest science: a 15 million tonne 'carbon budget' for 2018-22, at least 13% reductions in CO2 every year (now at least 13.5% to take account of lack of progress in 2018), and zero carbon by 2038, at the latest.
A new technology See.Sense is being used by 200 bike-commuter volunteers across Manchester city centre. This technology links up to ‘smart’ cycle lights which contain sensors to collect data on the journey of a typical commute.
A second initiative has involved the instillation of ten courting sensors along Deasgate. These sensors record 12 types of road users so as to get a better picture of how Deasgate is being used.
