NEWS
Q&A { PLANNING AND COP26
The planner’s role in delivering COP26 goals By Laura Edgar For nearly 30 years the UN has brought together countries for global climate summits, or COPs (Conference of the Parties) This November it is the turn of the UK, in partnership with Italy, to host COP26 in Glasgow. COP21 took place in Paris in 2015. There, countries agreed to work together to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and aim for 1.5 degrees to adapt to the effects of the changing climate. Four goals (see box, p5) have been outlined that need to be achieved at COP26, which was delayed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Planner spoke to Isabella Krabbe (IK), research officer at the RTPI, to establish COP26’s relevance to planners.
Q: Why does COP26 matter to planners? What should planners get from the conference? IK: COP26 is a key opportunity not just to raise global ambition, but also for the UK to galvanise efforts to reach our legally binding target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and improve biodiversity. COP26 presents a chance to deepen the shift towards more sustainable urban planning practices with fairness and justice at their heart. While COP26 recognises that we need to work nationally and internationally to secure progress on addressing climate change, we must also raise ambition for local action. Planners are at the cutting edge of the climate emergency because they have responsibility for decisions that are vital to our collective future. Effective local and strategic plans can help to deliver a range of key solutions to climate change issues, and can also help local communities
4
to reap the economic, environmental and social benefits of such action over the long term.
Q: Which of the four goals is the most important to planners – and why? IK: I would argue that all four goals are equally relevant to planners as all four global goals which COP26 will grapple with translate into important challenges for planners.
1
through local and strategic planning; providing certainty to renewable energy through ambitious and consistent local planning policy; setting energyefficiency standards that go beyond national minimum; and supporting a national retrofit strategy. It is also important to support a reuse first principle – whereby previously used land, buildings, places, materials and infrastructure are given preference to new.
Secure global net-zero by midcentury and keep 1.5 degrees within reach This goal requires urgent action across the built environment including reducing emissions from buildings, transport, energy and waste. The planning system can help to plan for this future and it is also a vital gateway to gaining consent for new Adapt to protect communities technologies. Planners can help keep and natural habitats a 1.5-degree future within reach by Adaptation to the risks presented integrating measures to enable walking by climate change is key to futureand cycling into wider strategies for proofing our existing communities and place and locking in long-term shifts making sure that new developments in travel behaviour; designing and maintain and enhance natural locating affordable habitats and the health new development in and wellbeing of local sustainable locations communities, as well as “EFFECTIVE LOCAL and minimising their competitiveness. AND STRATEGIC energy and transport Planners can support PLANS CAN HELP TO demand in local plans; this through improving DELIVER A RANGE supporting the the quality and resilience OF KEY SOLUTIONS roll-out of smart of existing homes and TO CLIMATE CHANGE energy infrastructure neighbourhoods, improving ISSUES”
2
TH E PL AN N E R \ SE PT E M B E R 2 0 2 1
4-7 News_September 2021_The Planner.indd 4
11/08/2021 09:08
