Carbon budget
This table shows the carbon budget and actual emissions for the years 2018-19 and 2019-20, and the carbon budget for each of the five years covered by the CCAP 2020-25 (including the actual emissions for year one of the CCAP (2020-21). In the three years between April 2018 and March 2021 the Council's direct emissions totalled 94,958 tonnes of CO2, which is 12,973 tonnes, or 12%, under-budget.
| Year | Emissions (tCO2) | Annual Cap (tCO2) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 37,173 | 41,087 | |
| 2019/20 | 32,284 | 35,745 | |
| 2020/21 | 25,501 | 31,099 | 12,973 under-budget over 3 yrs |
| 2021/22 | 27,056 | ||
| 2022/23 | 23,538 | ||
| 2023/24 | 20,478 | ||
| 2024/25 | 17,816 | 119,988 emissions budget for 5 yrs |
In addition to the targets for 2020-25, we have a target to reach zero carbon by 2038. This means reducing direct emissions by 95% by 2038 (compared to a 2015-16 baseline).
However, the Council’s carbon budget extends beyond 2038, covering the period 2018-19 to 2099-2100; the total budget is 316,048 tonnes of CO2. Actual emissions for April 2015 to March 2021 can be seen within the budget curve in this illustration.
Manchester City Council's pathway to zero carbon
As would be expected, most of the carbon budget is allocated to the start of the pathway to zero carbon, as this is the period when the greatest savings need to be made. For example, the first three years of the budget (2018-19 to 2020-21) have been allocated 34.2% of the total. Against this target, we have used only 30% of the budget.
The seven years from 2018 to 2025 (encompassing the current five-year action plan) have been allocated 62% of the total carbon budget. Including the five years beyond that, up to 2030, the allocation rises to 81% of the budget. These figures clearly show that this current decade is the critical time for concerted action.
The Council’s carbon budget extends beyond 2038 and covers the period 2018-19 to 2099-2100; the total budget is 316,048 tonnes of CO2. The section of the budget shown in Figure 3 (from 2018-19 to 2037-38) is 296,547 tonnes.
Progress reports 2021
Buildings are the most significant contributor to the Council’s direct emissions (75%), followed by the waste collection fleet (12%) and streetlights (10%), all of which have been targeted for proactive change which is detailed later in this report. See the figures for our carbon emissions for each workstream (ADD LINKS ONCE LIVE).