Manchester To Lead On UK Carbon Cutting Programme

Should we be putting gardens instead of roofs on top of buildings to cut power demand? If wind turbines were installed around the edges of new developments, how much cheaper would our power bills be?

The answers to these questions are now within our grasp, as Manchester, along with the nine other members of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, becomes part of a unique partnership. The Low Carbon Cities Programme (LCCP) will work with the ten members of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities to put in place a comprehensive plan to deliver on the challenge of climate change. Manchester is one of three UK cities selected by the government to develop a tailored action plan to slash CO2 emissions under a new scheme announced by Minister for Climate Change Joan Ruddock, with Manchester City Council's Green City Team helping to beat off stiff competition from other UK cities to sit alongside Bristol and Leeds as the Government's key partners.

The pilot will aim to deliver on a groundbreaking new compact that highlights the leadership role cities need to take for the UK to deliver on climate change, and agrees key action areas to accelerate the rate at which we cut emissions and adapt to a. changing climate. The lessons learned and plans developed in Manchester can then be deployed across the UK.

Under the LCCP, the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust will work with Manchester to develop a significant GM wide-wide plan to achieve a low carbon economy which is both prosperous and sustainable.

Manchester will share a £250,000 fund with Leeds and Bristol to plan new and innovative ways to achieve cuts in carbon emissions, including the generation of renewable energy and trigeneration (locally generating electricity, heat and cooling from a single source such as waste water or biomass). It will aim to make it easier for people to take action on climate change, by simplifying and improving measures that help residents, businesses and public agencies achieve and support low carbon lifestyles, and implement the practical actions needed to cut their carbon footprint.

Emissions across Greater Manchester are currently over 19 million tonnes a year. In order to avoid climate change reaching catastrophic levels, those emissions need to be cut by as much as 6 million tonnes by 2020 and this new city partnership will help quantify the impact of the many policies and initiatives already in place and identify the additional steps that public agencies, businesses and communities need to take in order to achieve this goal.

The experience Manchester gains from the LCCP will be shared with other major UK cities and the lessons learned will help create examples of best practice which could be followed by all major urban conurbations.

Another new programme from the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy was announced to support the delivery of the plans, with millions of pounds available to implement practical measures to tackle climate change. The UK BCSE will be running a series of events around the UK to help identify and deliver on opportunities for major carbon cuts.

Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Environment, Councillor Neil Swannick, said of the announcement: "Being selected as one of first UK cities to drive the Low Carbon Cities Programme is fantastic news and it is a testament to the climate change initiatives we have already developed through the Manchester is my Planet campaign and Green City programmes, and the world class climate change research expertise offered by Tyndall Centre Manchester and other University Programmes .

This support and funding from central government will enable us to build on the vast amount of work already being undertaken by ourselves, other local authorities and our partners across Greater Manchester.

Squaring the circle of economic growth and reduced carbon emissions is a significant challenge for our thriving City-region. We are very pleased and excited by this opportunity, which will enable us to increase our efforts to address fuel poverty and reduce Manchester's expensive dependency on fossil fuels. It will also help us to identify strategic interventions that will assist us in taking the major steps necessary to de-couple our economic growth from increased carbon emissions."

Tom Delay, Chief Executive, the Carbon Trust said: "We currently work with a third of all local authorities helping them to cut carbon, and have collaborated with all the key public sector bodies within Bristol, Leeds and Manchester. This new programme is the next crucial step in encouraging collaboration and harnessing good practice to ensure coherent city wide strategies"

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Rebecca Kennedy/Deborah Grace: 0161 234 3332