|
Meeting: |
Decision Session - Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency |
|
Meeting date: |
21/11/2023 |
|
Report of: |
Claire Foale, Assistant Director of Policy and Strategy |
|
Portfolio of: |
Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency |
Decision Report:
York
Emissions Inventory Report 2023
Subject of Report
1. This report presents the Emissions Inventory for the city of York. The data is used to monitor progress against the council ambition to achieve net zero carbon for the city by 2030.
2. The emissions inventory was compiled using the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions dataset[1].
3. City-wide emissions accounted for 816ktCO2e in 2020, a 12% decrease from 2019 (912ktCO2e). This is partly due to the limitations on travel and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. While the focus of our inventory reporting is Scope 1 and 2 emissions, as these fall directly under the control of actors within the city, we are exploring improved carbon accounting and management options to include scope 3 (indirect) emissions in the future.
5. The built environment and transport sector account for nearly 90% of our direct local emissions, with the council responsible for less than 3% of city-wide emissions.
Policy Basis for Decision
7. In 2019, City of York Council declared a Climate Emergency and set the ambition for York to reach net zero by 2030. The York Climate Change Strategy (2022) sets the framework required to meet this ambition. This report demonstrates the city’s progress towards net zero.
Financial Strategy Implications
8. This report identifies the value of emissions across the city and annual trends. There are no identifiable financial implications arising from the recommendations in the report.
Recommendation and Reasons
9. The Executive Member is asked to:
i) Approve the York Emissions Inventory Report for publication.
Reason: Provide transparency of progress against the ambition for York to be net zero by 2030.
Background
11. This report presents the latest York Emissions Report Inventory (2023) for the reporting year 2020. It uses source data from the UK local authority and regional emissions dataset, which provides a spatial disaggregation of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI). Previous reports, available from the council website[2], were compiled using the SCATTER tool[3]. The SCATTER tool was temporarily discontinued in 2023; therefore, this year’s emissions report has been compiled using the GHGI. This does not significantly alter the outcome of the report, as GHGI is also used as the source data for SCATTER.
12. GHGI is updated annually on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as part of the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) programme. The most recent estimates published by DESNZ relate to two years earlier; as such, the data does not reflect the current level of emissions.
13. The data provided by DESNZ represents a disaggregation of national data metrics for area size, GDP and population. As such, this data does not include any unique emissions reduction as a result of York climate action, such as the bus electrification programme, the Home Upgrade Grant scheme or solar for schools.
14. The SCATTER tool will be reintroduced next year following recent funding from DESNZ. Once reintroduced SCATTER will continue inform the basis of the council’s annual emissions inventory.
York’s City-Wide Emissions
15. York’s Scope 1 and 2 (Direct) emissions were in 816ktCO2e in 2020[4], a 12% decrease from 2019 (912ktCO2e).
16.
The
distribution of York’s emissions is similar to previous
years, with the built environment accounting for 56% and transport
32% of emissions. Argriculture and Land-Use, Industry and Waste
each make up five 5% or less of city-wide
emsisions.
 |
 |
 |
Built Environment
17. The decrease in emissions between 2019 and 2020 (-96ktCO2e) can be partly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in limitations for several sectors and prompted many workplaces to close[5].
18. Non-domestic emissions are 34% lower than in 2019; likely reflecting the shift towards home and hybrid working patterns due to the COVID-19 measures in 2020.
19. Domestic emissions have remained mostly unchanged since 2019.
Transport
20. Transport is the second largest contributor to York’s city-wide emissions, representing 32% of total locally derived emsisions in 2020.
21. Emissions reduced by nearly 6% between 2019 and 2020, likely as a result of travel restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased levels of homeworking.
Agriculture and Land-Use
22. Agriculture and Land Use represent 5% of city-wide emissions, with agriculture responsible for the majority of these (98%).
23. Most emissions produced through agricultural practices within York’s local authority boundary are from livestock (30.7ktCO2e), and farming soil practices (11ktCO2e).
24. While some aspects of land-use represent carbon sinks[6], cropland and settlement emissions result in an overall net gain in carbon emissions (0.9ktCO2e).
Consultation Analysis
25. The Council’s internal Climate Change Programme Board was consulted to overview the city-wide emissions data in its capacity to provide oversight, monitor progress, identify opportunities and manage risk relating to the Climate Change Programme
Organisational Impact and Implications
26.
· Financial - This report identifies the value of emissions across the city and annual trends. There are no identifiable financial implications arising from the recommendations in the report.
· Human Resources (HR)– No implications
· Legal - There are no legal implications linked to the recommendations specifically referred to within this report.
Any issues requiring support from Legal Services will however need to be addressed as and when they arise.
· Procurement – No implications
· Health and Wellbeing- The ambition to reduce emissions is beneficial for public health and the health of residents. Quite simply this results in cleaner air, decreased exposure to harmful pollutants, and a therefore a reduced risk for residents of various diseases and health conditions exacerbated by emissions. These improvements in health have wide-ranging benefits for society, including increased quality of life and reduced long term healthcare costs.
· Environment and Climate action– City-wide emissions reporting allows us to track progress against the Council ambition for York to be net zero by 2030.
· Affordability – No implications
· Equalities and Human Rights- The Council recognises, and needs to take into account its Public Sector Equality Duty under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct; advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it in the exercise of a public authority’s functions).
At the time of writing there are no equalities implications identified in respect of the specific matters discussed in this report. However, an Equalities Impact Assessment will be carried out in due course and the process of consulting on the recommendations in this report will identify any equalities implications on a case-by-case basis, and these will be addressed in future reports.
· Data Protection and Privacy – No implications
· Communications – No implications
· Economy – No implications
Risks and Mitigations
27. The following risks have been identified:
· Transparency: Wider emissions reporting refers, in the main, to city partner and resident activity. Partners will use their own methodology to measure their carbon impact and there may be occasions when data is not aligned. City partners will work together to present a shared narrative about data as it is published.
· Time: With a 2.5 year time lag for the data, it will be some time before the impact of policies is really understood. This brings a risk that inadvertent and negative impacts are not acted on quickly enough. To mitigate this risk the council will work with city partners, and draw on available evidence to better understand impact until the accurate data is available.
· Aggregation: Both the Local Authority and Regional Greenhouse Gas Dataset and the SCATTER dataset rely on disaggregation of national data and apportionment to York’s geography. While this is the best available indicator for sub-national area-wide emissions, it does not accurately reflect the emissions local to York. Work is ongoing to identify a bottom-up approach to emissions reporting that will more accurately represent York’s area-wide emissions inventory.
Wards Impacted
28. All wards.
Contact details
For further information please contact the authors of this Decision Report.
Author
|
Name: |
Shaun Gibbons |
|
Job Title: |
Head of Carbon Reduction |
|
Service Area: |
Carbon Reduction |
|
Email: |
|
|
Report approved: |
Yes |
|
Date: |
10/11/2023 |
Background papers
Council approve The Climate Change Strategy 2022-2032 Agenda for Council on Thursday, 15 December 2022, 6.30 pm (york.gov.uk) item 36
Council approve the Council Plan 2023-2027 Agenda for Council on Thursday, 21 September 2023, 6.30 pm (york.gov.uk) item 6
York Emissions Inventory Report 2022 https://modgov.york.gov.uk/documents/s164308/EMDS%20City%20Emissions%20Dec%202022.pdf
York Emissions Inventory Report 2021 https://modgov.york.gov.uk/documents/s153498/EMDS_York%20Emissions%20Inventory%20Report_2021.pdf
Annexes
Annex A: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions national statistics York 2020