Cambridge 2030: the route to a zero-carbon future
Climate change poses a severe threat to our environment, our health and to our way of life. Taking action to combat the severe effects it could cause has united politicians across the political spectrum as well as business and religious leaders. At the recent COP21 climate meeting in Paris, 195 nations made a landmark decision to commit to lowering greenhouse gas emissions in order to prevent the most dangerous aspects of climate change. They called for efforts to be made to limit the global surface temperature rise to ‘well below 2°C’, to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C and to reach net-zero emissions this century. Now these ideals need to be translated into effective and robust policy frameworks at national, regional and local levels. In the UK, the unhelpful approach of the national Conservative Government means that
action at the local level is ever more important. Here in Cambridge we're fortunate to have a grouping of environmentally-committed individuals, NGOs, politicians, entrepreneurs, academics and others. All that's currently missing from the mix is a clear ambition and detailed roadmap. This document from the Cambridge Green Party aims to help fill that void. We envisage Cambridge becoming the first UK city to be ‘zero carbon’, having zero net carbon emissions, by 2030. We would be an exemplar of how the transition can be made away from a fossil fuel-dominated economy. The changes we outline for the next 15 years have the potential to bring enormous benefits to Cambridge citizens by way of enhanced lifestyles, better air quality, lower fuel poverty and new employment opportunities. Come and join us on this exciting journey!
Climate Change in context
Our world is warming
2015 was the warmest on record and 14 of
A
B
the 15 warmest years have occurred this
century. The average global surface temper-
ature is now 1°C above the pre-industrial
baseline of 1850–1900. Scientists and policy makers tell us that if the world were to
experience an average global warming of
2°C there could be dire consequences in terms of frequency of severe weather
events, food supplies, ocean acidification
and sea level rise. These could have massive
consequences for many millions of people, especially in the poorer parts of the world.
emissions will need to be limited to 1000 Gt
CARBON BUDGETS
below 2°C, or limited to 250 Gt to stay
Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases (CO2e), accu-
CO2 from 2016 onwards in order to stay
below 1.5°C. These are our carbon budgets. Current global CO2 emissions are
mulating in the atmosphere. Cumulative
about 40 Gt per annum so we will soon bust
about 2,035 billion tons (Gt) and it is esti-
action is taken to dramatically curb our
global CO2e emissions to 2015 totalled mated that future greenhouse gas
these budgets unless rapid and sustained
reliance on fossil fuels. Since any emissions
C
To limit global warming to 2°C requires rapid and sustained reductions in carbon emissions. If we continue with our current rate of CO2 emissions (A) we can expect 4°C of warming before the end of the century. Ways of limiting warming to 2°C are shown in B and C, though the latter assumes widespread use of Negative Emissions Technologies such as BECCS, which are currently unproven at scale.
create additional warming, we must reduce
our global net CO2e emissions to zero (‘zero carbon’) within this century.
Aims and Aspirations Other UK local authorities (e.g.
The first zero-carbon city in the UK
Haringey) have adopted CO2e
high ambitions for curbing global carbon
they should be adopted both for
The COP21 Climate Change meeting set
emissions. Now it’s for governments and
local authorities to develop plans consistent with meeting these ambitions.
By 2050 UK cities will need to be near
zero carbon emissions in order to meet the government’s Climate Change Act (2008)
target. Being at the heart of Silicon Fen,
with access to high quality research, experi-
ence of establishing innovative businesses
and with City Deal funding, Cambridge is
in a unique position. It should aspire to
emissions reduction targets and
Cambridge City Council and for the City of Cambridge.
Meaningful targets for Cambridge
The UK Government has a CO2e
reduction target of ‘80% by 2050’.
The Green Party’s target is for CO2e emissions is ‘90% by 2030’, which
reflects the very limited remaining global
carbon budget and the need for global fair-
ness. To meet the UK Government target
become the first zero carbon city in the UK.
will require decarbonisation at a rate of
Carbon reduction targets are important
preferred rate is 11.3% per annum. If Cam-
3.2% per annum; the Green Party’s
Having targets provides clarity of the climate
bridge is to become the first zero carbon
policymakers. It also provides a clear and
bonisation rate of >5% per annum.
change challenge and gives guidance to
transparent method of assessing progress.
city in the UK, it will need to adopt a decar
www.haringey4020.org.uk
Cities account for 80% of global carbon
emissions. Given the necessity for industri-
alised developed countries to become
‘zero-carbon’ first, cities such as Cambridge
must lead the transition as fast as possible
to enable us to meet our national responsi-
bilities.
Collaboration in Cambridge the world as governments and businesses
recognize the need to drastically cut carbon emissions. More than 50 major inter-
national companies, including Adobe, BT,
IKEA and M&S, have committed
themselves to being powered 100% by
renewable energy (www.there100.org).
Any UK infrastructure which cannot be
part of a zero-carbon future by 2050 at the
very latest will simply become a wasted
asset.
We are on the cusp of very major
changes to the way we generate, supply
and utilise energy, or as Sir David King has
called it, ‘the biggest opportunity since the
industrial revolution’. Cambridge is won-
Above: Fossil Free demonstration in the Market Square, Cambridge, 2015, Photo courtesy of Calum Harvey-Scholes
derfully placed not only to make significant
The Green Growth Opportunity
The rapid transition away from a fossil fuel-
based economy has begun. Coal and tar
sands projects are being cancelled around
contributions to the global energy R&D
effort, but to also reap major benefits from
the new energy economy.
Local Government Leadership
A number of local councils have already
announced ambitious plans to become
Zero-Carbon cities, including Copenhagen,
Stockholm, Berlin and Vancouver. Not
surprisingly, these are attracting consider-
This would be a truly collaborative venture,
modelled in part on a similar initiative
developed in Bristol (www.bristolgreen
capital.org). Its aim would be to develop,
showcase and roll-out ideas, projects and
technologies which will lead to a Zero-
Carbon city. Alongside a sustainable future
able international interest, new energy
there should also be a vision of an
For whatever reason(s), successive
commuters and tourists.
attention to climate change and continue to
a significant number of grass-root organisa-
entrepreneurs and financial investment.
Cambridge City Councils have paid scant
enhanced quality of life for residents, Cambridge is fortunate to already have
regard the issue as a burden rather than as
tions which are working towards making
ment leadership means that a new
city. We believe that these community
growth agenda in Cambridge.
Partnership, alongside innovative
an opportunity. This lack of local govern-
approach is needed to kick-start the green
A Green Growth Partnership for Cambridge To help promote the new sustainable economy, we propose the establishment of a
‘Green Growth Partnership for Cambridge’.
Cambridge a more pleasant and sustainable
groups have key roles to play in the
businesses, academic institutions and local
government. Such a Partnership will allow
all involved to share best practice, co-operate on projects and generate the ideas
necessary to enable Cambridge to be a great
21st century city.
Our Houses Although emissions from the ‘domestic’
sector account for around 29% of the total
produced in Cambridge, this figure does
not truly reflect the contribution by
Cambridge residents to global climate
change, as it does not include emissions
poverty and free people from crippling
implemented quickly.
retrofit programmes of about 60,000 build-
Cambridge Retrofit which aims to reduce
homes will still be in use by 2050, intensive
ings in Cambridge is needed to improve
generated by imported goods which have
been produced elsewhere and transported
powers to force owners to upgrade energy
By 2030 Cambridge should have a
CONSUMPTION
Reducing our levels of consumption and
‘zero-waste’ local economy with a focus on
efficiently as possible.
How do we get there? HOUSING
New homes should be built to ‘passivhaus’* standards, and in the process lessen fuel
through buildings retrofit. Businesses and
efficiency to high standards in their homes.
goods involve significant emissions.
creating its own energy and using it as
Cambridge’s 2010 CO2 emissions by 25% energy efficiency and tenants given the
production and transport of imported
reducing, reusing and recycling. The City
We fully support the work of
landlords should be assisted to improve
here for our consumption. Both the
should become energy-independent by
their energy performance and needs to be
energy bills. As three quarters of existing
Solar panels on house roofs in Cambridge
* A Passivhaus is a building, for which thermal comfort can be achieved solely by post-heating or post-cooling of the fresh air mass, which is required to achieve sufficient indoor air quality conditions – without the need for additional recirculation of air, meaning the heating requirement in a Passivhaus is reduced to the point where a traditional heating system is no longer considered essential.
waste is easily the most effective action we
can take to reduce emissions.
Citizens should be engaged to create a
‘Zero Waste’ local economy, helped to
reduce, re-use and recycle as far as possible. Consumption of disposable goods
must be minimised, along with unneces-
sary packaging. Public water fountains, for
example, should become readily available
FOOD SUPPLY
Networks to share food and reduce waste, promote sustainable food production and
LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY SUPPLY
such as FoodCycle, and organisations that
consumption must be supported and
assisted to play a pivotal role in the City. Use of city space for growing and
sharing food should be encouraged, with
community groups supported to use land
for such purposes. Public spaces and services can promote activities involving
Working a plot at Whitehill allotments, one of many allotment sites in Cambridge
in public spaces to minimise the need for bottled water.
Buying commodities from sustainable
local sources must become the norm. Local
growing, making, repairing and exchang-
ing, rather than buying.
energy, through wind, solar, or ground and
air heat pumps.
Energy co-operatives should be estab-
lished and promoted, allowing Cambridge citizens to buy shares in wind and solar
farms to offset the city’s emissions. Profits
from the electricity sold can return to the
investing individuals.
more than 80% of household waste.
estates and buildings should include micro
The City should aim to recycle and compost The recycling of materials and waste
into its various components and its collec-
tives can be created so the prices of goods
widespread as possible.
their cost to the environment.
most effective ways possible, such as pro-
involving significant emissions truly reflect
New building projects and housing estates
should include infrastructure to generate
WASTE AND RECYCLING
government and public services should
procure only from these sources. Disincen-
ducing useful biogases to heat public build-
ings or power public transport.
tion must be made as simple and
Residual waste can be utilised in the
New government and local authority
methods of energy generation as standard. Public buildings can share systems
using biogas or ground source heat pumps as a source of energy.
Our Businesses Within the City of Cambridge industry and
commerce accounts for the majority of
carbon emissions (55%).
Businesses must rapidly begin prepar-
ing and implementing business models
which are sustainable and do not rely on
carbon emissions. Those that do so first will have huge market advantages.
Uniting business and industry to share
good practice will allow them to minimise carbon emissions and have sustainable
futures.
A Green Growth Partnership With leadership and encouragement by
government, Cambridge business should
join in the ‘Green Growth Partnership’. This informal alliance should encourage partnership working, allow the sharing of good
practice and foster innovation to create the
City’s Zero Carbon Future.
Investment / Divestment
As a starting point, local businesses and
organisations should end investments in
the fossil fuel companies that are commit-
ted to burning more carbon than the world
can sustain. Local authorities, unions, businesses and educational institutions must
ensure their pension funds are invested in
organisations compatible with a sustainable
future.
Buildings and estates
Shops and buildings must be supported to
meet the highest energy efficiency
standards. Simple steps can be taken in the
beginning, such as all retail outlets adopt-
ing the ‘Close the Door ’ campaign to
reduce energy usage.
The City and region can create
schemes and incentives to encourage
organisations and businesses to utilise
renewable technology to generate their
own clean energy.
Facilities in shops and businesses must
have no barriers to people making sustain-
able choices. Recycling facilities should
always be accessible, low carbon travel to shops as easy as possible and sustainable
products be the ones promoted and
rewarded.
Please come in we close the door
energy against waste
www.closethedoor.org.uk ‘Close the Door’ website (www.closethedoor.org.uk) offers advice and information on their campaign to save energy and material to download for stickers and posters
Sustainable business practice
Businesses should source their products
locally, reducing as much as possible the need to send produce around the world
Community organisations should be
supported to put business waste to the best
use possible. Groups can recycle and redistribute this waste for community reuse.
unnecessarily.
Travel for business
Future town planning should consider the
location of businesses and organisations to
minimise the need for long commutes and
the consequent traffic congestion.
Businesses can use modern communication
Businesses and institutions should
technology for meetings to reduce the need
follow the lead taken by Re100 companies
for travel by car or plane.
committed to powering their businesses
to low carbon travel as possible. Modern
such as IKEA, BT and CocaCola which are
Workplaces must have as few barriers
100% with renewable energy.
showering and changing facilities for
cyclists can easily be included in
Waste management
workplaces. Where onsite parking is neces-
Discounts and offers to encourage bulk
buying and wasteful habits can be minimised
and minimal packaging and wrapping
become routine for all products. Those
absolutely necessary must be produced
sustainably and be easily recyclable.
Top: Windmills in Cambridgeshire Below: One of a number of recycling bin sites scattered throughout the city
sary, car-sharing must be incentivised.
A Sustainable Transport System: looking to the future Transportation in Cambridge is a major
issue for residents, commuters and tourists.
Daily traffic congestion in and around the
role for railways, smart traffic management
and zero emissions transportation.
fully integrate with other modes of transport and better serve people’s needs. The
construction of massive bus lanes on either
side of the street is unnecessary. A central
city causes poor air quality, contributes sig-
tidal-flow bus lane is more appropriate and
nificantly to our CO2 emissions and
retains more space for cyclists and for keep-
seriously threatens the city’s economy. A
new approach is needed which promotes
ing grass verges and trees.
dramatically cutting dangerous emissions
duced to speed up bus-loading and
Contactless ticketing should be intro-
our quality of life while at the same time
of particulates and greenhouse gases.
The Greater Cambridge City Deal The City Deal gives us the opportunity to
transform Cambridge into a healthier, less
congested place to live.
The current projects, however, overly
emphasise bus lanes and increased capacity
for motorists, to the detriment of local resi-
dents and our environment. The deal must
include more sustainable actions such as the reallocation of road space to disabled people, pedestrians and cyclists, an increased
real-time bus information should become
Public transport
more widely available.
To tackle the transport problems of Cam-
PARK-AND-RIDE
vehicle usage will be required. Electric
essary to cope with the projected housing
bridge, a modal shift away from personal powered public transportation will only be successful if it is attractive, affordable and
offers reliable journey times.
BUSES
Additional Park-and-Ride sites will be nec-
growth. They should offer free parking and
safe access for walking, cycling or driving.
The sites can provide space for renewable
energy projects to offset emissions.
The City Deal should seek authority to reg-
RAILWAYS
enable bus routes to be redesigned to more
will encourage commuting to various
ulate bus networks and fares. This would
The construction of new railway stations
employment hubs by public transport. The
be required to be electric by 2030, with the
easier travel to the science park and the
across the city.
new station at Cambridge North will allow
rapidly expanding Biomedical Campus to
the south of the city requires that an addi-
tional station be constructed at
Addenbrooke’s.
Housing growth at Bourn, Cambourne
and St Neots should be supported by a new
trainline, which could form part of an East-
West route into Oxford.
council rolling out rapid charging points
Walking and cycling
There should be a joined-up comprehensive plan for a city cycling network, aiming to
make Cambridge a world class cycling city. New housing developments must include
safe space to encourage journeys by active
transport.
the City Centre could be used to improve
in Cambridge. To meet our emissions
cycling.
reduction target, all Cambridge taxis should
Personal vehicle usage needs to be all elec-
tric by 2030 with a fall in the number of
journeys taken. Car-sharing rather than car
ownership should be encouraged alongside
measures to discourage driving into the city
centre. These would include a congestion
zone and the elimination of free on-street
parking for commuters.
Regular ‘car free’ days on Sundays in
Taxis
An electric taxi service is already available
Personal vehicles
air quality and encourage walking and
Photos above, left to right: Cycle path over the Cam to Chesterton; New multi-storey bike park at Cambridge Station; Cycle bridge over the railway at Cambridge Station
Adaptation
The need for adaptation
Global surface temperatures have already
risen by 1°C and are expected to rise further
by the end of the century. This makes it
inevitable that Cambridge and the UK will
experience a climate different to what has
Flooding on Riverside, Cambridge, 2001. © Copyright Keith Edkins. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic Licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
been the recent long-term norm.
The UK flooding in 2007 affected
55,000 homes, at a huge human and finan-
clial cost. It is estimated that the floods over
This figure shows projected greenhouse gas concentrations for four different emissions pathways. The top pathway assumes they will continue to rise throughout the current century.The bottom pathway assumes that emissions reach a peak between 2010 and 2020, declining thereafter. www.iiasa.ac.at/web-apps/ tnt/RcpDb
the winter of 2015 – 2016 will ultimately
cost the affected families and communities
more than £5 billion.
Severe climatic events such as these
are expected to become stronger and/or
more frequent, making it essential that we
have adequate safeguards in place.
The impact on Cambridge
The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment
of 2012 identified water scarcity, rise in sea
level and flooding as the key risks for the
East of England. To date, the greatest
climatic impact on our city has been flood-
ing. Flood events such as those at Riverside
in July 2012, at Girton in December of the
same year and at Addenbrokes in the
summer of 2015 have demonstrated our
vulnerability to large storms.
Long periods of prolonged below-
average rainfall, such as occurred between
winter 2009/10 and early 2012, have
considerable negative effect on gardens,
trees and the environment generally.
Eastern England is also considered
water pooling and including sustainable
urban drainage systems can significantly
local areas where more vegetation could be
planted, excess rain water drained or
vulnerable to future summer heatwaves
reduce the chances of flooding.
renewable energy generation expanded.
people across the UK. Future heatwaves
ings should be built with energy and water
effects and expanding the community’s
such as that of 2003, which killed 2000
could have significant impacts on hospitals,
GP surgeries and care homes unless
New houses and non-residential build-
efficiency as a high priority. Examples of
intelligent design include the maximisation
adaptive measures are put in place.
of natural light, the collection of rainwater,
patterns will inevitably lead to changes in
boilers with local sources and intelligent
poorly understood, but might include, for
waves. New developments should be
and more widespread salmonella.
energy, access to green spaces and easy
Changing rainfall and temperature
certain health risks. These risks are currently example, changing patterns of influenza
How to adapt?
The expansion of Cambridge in the coming
piped water cooling systems, biomass
Allotments have a number of beneficial
access to them should be encouraged. They
increase the amount of local food production
and reduce our reliance on supermarkets
and imported food. They promote health
and well-being and they can become a focal
ventilation to reduce the severity of heat-
point of community involvement.
designed with sources of local renewable
nership’ would see the huge savings
methods of active transport for all.
Within the city and existing urban
areas there are numerous examples of how
Enterprises engaging in a ‘Green Part-
possible through retrofitting to improve
efficiencies, the benefits of generating their
own energy and the sense of planning their
estates to minimise the risks of heatwaves,
years, by an estimated 35,000 homes,
to increase our resilience. Increasing tree
droughts and flooding.
city with a modern and resilient urban
the severity of heatwaves and help to
plan for Cambridge to protect our citizens
provides a unique opportunity to create a
cover in the city by just 10% would mitigate
environment.
reduce air pollution. A comprehensive
flood risk in mind, building space for excess
city and plan interventions, identifying
Locating new developments with
‘urban greening’ strategy could map the
Adaptation must be a core part of the
from the expected change in our climate
and the associated risks.
Conclusion In this booklet the Cambridge Green Party
has set out how we think our city can reach
n
We have explained the need to embark
n
a zero-carbon future by 2030.
on this course and the urgency that is
required to reach our goal and the dire
consequences of failing to take the steps
necessary.
We have proposed a ‘Green Growth
Partnership’ that could draw upon all the
skills and energy of many organisations
who would be willing to participate in this endeavour and meet the challenges posed
by climate change. If we are to succeed
then collaboration is vital and presents a
great opportunity to benefit everyone in
our community.
In a document of this size it is not
possible to go into detail about everything
n n n n n n
we think could and should be done to
achieve our aims, but we have highlighted a number of proposals that we regard as
necessary.
These include:
Raising our housing stock to energy-
Redesigning bus routes to integrate
more fully with other modes of
efficient standards
transport, regulating bus fares and
switching to more sustainable lifestyles
such as contactless ticketing
Reducing levels of consumption and
networks and introducing efficiencies
Recycling 80% of household waste
n
include local renewable energy
n
Ensuring new building projects
Encouraging local companies to adopt
sustainable business models that eradi-
cate carbon emissions
Persuading local organisations and
businesses to end their investment in
n
Expanding park-and-ride sites and
offering free parking there
Building a new railway to support
growth at Bourn, Cambourne and St
Neots
Requiring all Cambridge taxis to be
electric by 2030 and establishing rapid
charging points across the city
fossil fuel companies
n
use standards in local businesses and
n
Encouraging the start-up of new busi-
Achieving zero-carbon status for Cambridge
Introducing highly efficient energy-
organisations
nesses around the city to reduce the
need for commuting as far as possible
n
n
and to encourage cycling.
Reallocating road space in favour of pedestrians and cyclists
Establishing a comprehensive plan for
a city cycling network
Encouraging car-share and incentivising the use of electric vehicles.
by 2030 is a huge but exciting challenge.
The scientific consensus is clear; we must
urgently learn how to live without burning
fossil fuels.
ďƒ
The world is not over-populated but it is massively
unequal, with 10% of the earth’s population generating
half the globe’s carbon emissions. This makes combat-
ing emissions an issue of justice.
If we are to expect the population of the world to
work to enable temperature rises to be kept to manage-
able levels then we, as citizens of one of the world’s
richest countries, must take the lead.
The costs of making this transition will be
recouped many times over by the benefits to our health
and our lives. Many of the ideas in this strategy make
perfect sense from a social point of view, even disregarding the environmental advantages.
By advertising itself as a world leader Cambridge
will attract enterprise and innovation for the real industries of the future.
This strategy is nothing but a starting point. It
cannot possibly contain all the answers to making
Cambridge a zero-carbon city by 2030. However, we
believe that these proposals offer a way forward and
we need to start NOW. We cannot afford to wait a
moment longer.
If you would like to join us in this mission, visit
https://cambridge.greenparty.org.uk
Promoted and published by Stephen Lawrence, 8 Supanee Court, French’s Road, Cambridge CB4 3LB on behalf of the Cambridge Green Party
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