The City Council's "Call to Action" on Climate Change

Context
In February 2008, Manchester City Council approved its "Climate Change Principles." With a headline of "a million tonnes a year less carbon dioxide by 2020", it laid out 17 principles under which it would act and three areas in which savings would be made.

The Principles Document also promised a Climate Strategy would be released in 2008, and there would be six months of consultation on it.

This, as even casual observers will be aware, simply did not happen. No announcement was made, but following questioning, the Council did admit this, as reported in Manchester Climate Fortnightly no 3, July 21st 2008

Now, the Council Executive, made up of 10 members (all Labour Party) out of the full council of 96 councillors, will meet on Wednesday January 14th. There are other items on the agenda, of course, but it is being asked to approve a "Call to Action." on climate change. The 13 page executive summary of the report has been released, and can be downloaded here.

MCFly will release a more detailed report of this document tomorrow, but for now the following snippets from the document will suffice.
They are, in order of appearance (drum roll please)
1) the recommendations to the council,
2) the aims of the full report,
3) the proposed timetable for action in 2009
and- put last to keep you reading through to the end-
4)the Inevitable Controversial Bit About The Airport.

1) Members of the Executive are being asked to

1. Approve the Climate Change Call to Action and the implementation of the ‘catalytic actions’ set out in this report.

2. Support the engagement of residents, businesses and stakeholder organisations in wide ranging debates and actions to create a framework and level of support for the Climate Change Action Plan.

3. Ask Officers to report on this Action Plan later in 2009, which will incorporate a full route-map to achieving a reduction in Manchester’s carbon emissions of over one million tonnes a year by 2020.

4. Approve the establishment of an Environmental Strategy Programme Board chaired by the Chief Executive to oversee the work programmes and the development of a clear funding strategy.

2) It is claimed that the full report, (which will be available on Wednesday January 14th),

Sets out a new way of thinking, grounded in Manchester’s Community Strategy, which focuses on the advantages Manchester could realise through early, decisive action to tackle and adapt to climate change and shift to a low carbon economy;

Describes the role of the City of Manchester in a global, national and city- regional context in leading the response to climate change and the specific areas of work Manchester needs to focus on to make early, telling inroads into the city’s carbon footprint; and

Proposes a programme of immediate action to demonstrate across different facets of city life how we can cut our carbon footprint and at the same time sustain and increase prosperity and quality of life for Manchester residents.

3) The timetable envisaged is as follows-

Jan 2009: This Call to Action published
Jan-Mar 2009: Detailed action planning
Spring-Summer 2009:

• Community awareness raising and engagement through the “Proud Of” campaign
• Engagement through implementation of the proposed ‘catalytic’ actions

Late 2009: Final Manchester climate change action plan published

4) And finally for now, that Bit About the Airport

(page 11)
9. A green Airport.
Manchester Airport is one of the principal components of economic growth in Manchester. The City Council’s agrees that global rates of air traffic growth are unsustainable in the long term, but believes that it is not a realistic option for individual airports or cities to suppress their growth unilaterally ahead of international agreements that lead to orderly reductions in overall emissions. Manchester Airport has produced an Environment Plan as part of its Master Plan to 2030 and committed to becoming carbon neutral in its site energy use and ground vehicle operations. The City Council will fully support the Airport to achieve its aims.


Watch this space