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or the CSP please contact:
Alex McKenzie
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Cumbria County Council
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Tel: 01228 221057
Email: alex.mckenzie@cumbriacc.gov.uk
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www.cumbriastrategicpartnership.org.uk
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Cumbria
Climate Change Strategy
2008 to 2012
Contents
Scientists are calling for urgent action
to cut greenhouse gas emissions
from human activity as quickly as possible,
by as much as possible,
to reduce the worst impacts of climate
change on society
Contents
2
p4-5
p6-11
p12-17
p18-23
p24-29
p30-35
p36-41
p42-47
p48-53
p54-59
p60-65
p66-70
Foreword
Introduction
Energy generation
Housing and buildings
Health
Industry and commerce
Natural environment
Procurement
Spatial planning
Transport
Waste
Water
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 3
Strategy and
action plan on
climate change
The County Council has been leading
the development of a Cumbria
climate change strategy and action
plan through the Cumbrian Strategic
Partnership. A Partnership Task
Group was set up early in 2007
and has worked hard to produce a
strategy and action plan that will help
implement both national policy and
regional climate change objectives.
The Cumbrian strategy will reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and enable people, organisations
and industry to adapt to unavoidable impacts of
climate change. The production of the strategy
could not have been better timed. Cumbria has
included in the Local Area Agreement a target
to reduce carbon emissions by 210,000 tonnes
per annum. That represents 0.42 tonnes for
every Cumbrian each year.
That’s a tough target. It means making a
substantial reduction of carbon emissions from
housing, transport and industry. Put simply,
30% of households would need to reduce their
emissions by 15%. In addition, 20% of drivers
would need to cut their travel emissions by 10%
and business and the public sector would also
need to cut carbon emissions by 15%.
Tough as these may be, they are not
incompatible with maintaining economic
prosperity and taking advantage of new
opportunities that low carbon technologies offer
to regenerate Cumbria.
Climate change is the major challenge facing
the world. We need to rise to that challenge.
The Partnership welcomes this strategy and
is clear about what needs to be done. The
Partnership is committed to action and will work
to reduce emissions and ensure that Cumbria
and its people can cope with climate change.
Finally we all need to play our part. The
Partnership can make a difference but we
need your help. Climate change is a shared
responsibility. Cumbrians will need to re-asses
how they lead their lives and reduce their own
carbon footprint. This strategy is a catalyst for
action and change. Success depends on both
personal and organisational commitment. I hope
you will follow our leadership and make that
commitment too.
This is not the end of the journey. The Task
Group will monitor progress and review
the need for further action. That reflects the
challenge inherent in the target. We will need
to learn what works, what doesn’t and adapt
accordingly.
Bill Lowther, Chairman
Cumbria Strategic Partnership
The partnership welcomes
this strategy and is
committed to action ...
4
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 5
Foreword
Foreword
• High emissions – this reflects a world of very rapid economic growth, with a global population
that peaks in the middle of the century and then declines. Market mechanisms continue to
dominate and there is a rapid development and introduction of new technologies, but a continued
reliance on fossil fuels. There is social, cultural and economic convergence between regions.
• Medium high emissions – this reflects a heterogeneous world with a continuously increasing
global population. There is a regional focus on economic development and local identity remains
strong. Technological change is slower and more fragmented than in the other scenarios.
• Medium low emissions – this reflects a world where the focus is on local solutions to
economic, social and environmental sustainability. World population continues to grow but
at a slower rate than in the medium-high emissions scenario. Rates of economic growth are
intermediate, while technological change is less rapid and diverse than in the high and low
emissions scenarios.
• Low emissions – this reflects a world with greater convergence between regions and global
solutions to economic, social and environmental sustainability. Global population changes in a
similar fashion to the high emissions scenario. Economic structures are transformed with rapid
moves toward a service and information economy, reductions in materials intensity and the
introduction of clean and resource efficient technologies.
In all of these scenarios it is assumed that no specific measures are taken to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Source: Hulme et al, 2002; and IPCC, 2000.
6
UKCIP has described four different
scenarios for our future climate based
on emissions of greenhouse gases
over the next 100 years (see Box 1
opposite.)
Carbon dioxide concentrations have risen by
just over one third from 280 parts per million
(ppm) around 1750, to 379ppm in 2005.
Including other major greenhouse gases, the
total warming effect is equivalent to around
430ppm carbon dioxide.
The IPCC report estimates that without
intervention greenhouse gas levels will rise to
between 600-1550 ppm CO2 equivalent by
2100, depending on future emissions. This
would be associated with a warming of between
around 1.7 and 7.0°C above pre-industrial
levels (or 1.1 to 6.4°C above 1990 levels)
by the end of the century, and a further few
degrees warming in the following century.
Recent climate IPCC modelling research confirms
that delaying action now would require greater
action later for the same temperature target;
even a delay of 5 years could be significant.
Clearly the longer the delay, the greater the
level of intervention necessary, and according
to the Stern Review (2006), the higher levels
of GDP that would need to be diverted to pay
for the ensuing problems. More recent work by
the IPCC suggests that limiting CO2 e emissions
closer to 450 ppm or even lower might be more
appropriate to meet the 2°C stabilisation limit
that the Government has stated as their aim.
Fig 1: Global carbon dioxide concentrations from 1960 to 2100 for each of the four
emissions scenarios
1000
1000
900
900
800
800
700
700
600
600
High Emissions
CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION (PPM)
Overwhelming
scientific
evidencehas
shows
that our
The Cumbrian
landscape
presents
a picture to
Cumbria’s natural
environment
shaped
Climate
Change
Impacts
in Cumbria
climate
change
is
influenced
by
human
activity.
some of a world unchanged by the passage
history and pattern of communities based on
Greenhouse
gases released
into theshipping,
atmosphere
This
introduction
gives
a
brief
overview
of
the
of time. It is possible to feel a unique sense
locations favoured
by agriculture,
from
burning
fossil
fuels,
such
as
oil,
gas and
and coal
probable
impacts
of
climate
change
within
the
of serenity, space and stillness. And some of
mining, steelmaking, power generation
,act like a blanket around the planet and prevent
North West and Cumbria. The data comes from
our communities with their traditions, dialects,
nuclear energy. This has brought opportunity
heat from escaping. The extent to which the
the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP)
and warmthfor
may
feel as extrapolated
though they are
from
but alsochanges
created in
isolation
forwill
some.
It has meant
climate
the future
be influenced
information
Cumbria
from
times when
lifeSignificant
was lived at
a slowerinand
more
strong
self-reliantofcommunities
had
by
the quantities
greenhouse which
gasseshave
(GHG)
regional
level.
advances
UKCIP
peaceful
pace.
to
work
hard
to
influence
national
and
regional
that are released. Data collection and modelling
climate change modelling will be published
shows
clearly that recent human emissions of
in November 2008, based upon the latest
priorities.
GHG
activity
have already committed us to
Intergovernmental
Panel
on
Climate
Change
But in reality, Cumbria comprises a complex
experience
some
degreepossible
of warming
(IPCC)
data.
Early
signals
suggest
that
this
will
array of communities set in and alongside
However, it is already
to see(between
change
1-2°C).
present evidence of even greater changes in
a unique, varied, stimulating and testing
taking place – you can walk through the
our climate likely to occur within the century.
landscape.
This
can
at times
be both an
centre of central
our cityEngland
or towns
and see world-class
Average
temperatures
have
The
influence
and
effect
of mountains
on
advantage
and
barrier.
These
complexities
businesses
and
communities
energised
and
already increased by about 1°C since 1980,
climate change scenarios is little studied, with
present
a wide
variety
opportunities
and
engaged
ambitious, around
but measured,
planshave
whilst
sea by
temperatures
the UK coast
more
work
required
to of
improve
local accuracy.
risen
by 0.7°C over
thecan
same
Insignificant
Cumbria’s
topography
means
challenges,varied
the real
essence ofalso
which
can there
for regeneration.
You
seeperiod.
their vibrancy
as
this riseas
may
seem,
science
shows that between
such a
are
many micro-climates
withinThis
which
the exact
be masked
by simple statistics.
strategy
emerging
they
tackle
the inequalities
change
will
inevitably
result
in
significant
climatic
impact
of
climate
change
is
almost
impossible
to
seeks to address issues that will improve the
lives in different parts of the county, creating
instability, greater likelihood of extreme weather
predict.
well-being of all of those who live and visit
much needed opportunities for young and old
events and longer term shifts in weather patterns.
this county. It recognises that we need to take
alike.
account of individual need, based on accurate
evidence to best address the varied issues faced
Box 1: Greenhouse gas emission scenarios
by our diverse communities.
Medium High
Emissions
Medium Low
Emissions
Low Emissions
500
500
400
400
300
300
200
1960
1980
2000
2020
2040
2060
2080
200
2100
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 7
Introduction
Foreword
Introduction
• Snowfall in Cumbria will decrease by 10%
by 2020s falling by a further 35%, possibly
55% from current levels by 2050s. In many
parts of Cumbria snow may disappear
altogether as we enter the last quarter of the
century.
The climate in the North West is set
to get warmer and wetter. This will
increase the risk of storms, flooding
and the potential for extended
periods of drought. As global average
temperatures increase, we will also
experience rises in sea level around
the Cumbrian coast.
• While predicted changes in sea level are
not available for Cumbria, in the North
West sea levels are predicted to rise by up
to 67cm.
By 2080, if we continue to discharge high
amounts of greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere then, in the North West, it is
possible that:
• Weather patterns could become more
extreme e.g. high temperatures recorded
occasionally today could become the norm
by 2080.
• Average daily temperatures in Cumbria will
rise between 1 and 2 degrees by 2050s.
These trends are substantiated by
recent changes in climate in the
northwest of England.
• Summer rainfall will reduce by as much as
15% in Cumbria by 2020s.
• Winter rainfall in Cumbria shows a
consistent increase of up to 15% throughout
the first half of the century rising to
somewhere between 15% and 30% increase
by 2080s depending on GHG emission
levels.
At a glance ... what will trends
in climate change mean for us in
Cumbria?
Between now and 2080 if we continue to
discharge high amounts of greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere then, in Cumbria, it is
possible that:
• Fuel and food prices will continue to
increase relative to inflation, impacting
most on the poor and rural communities.
Costs will rise to pay for air conditioning
and refrigeration during summer months.
Flooding will become much more common,
with consequential economic loss. We can
expect more frequent ‘extreme’ weather
conditions, with major disruption to
everyday life. Land use in Cumbria’s flood
plains will also be affected, leading to a
greater financial burden on local authorities
and the insurance industry within these
zones.
• Health, disease and pest patterns will
impact on humans and livestock; e.g. the
potential expansion of tick and midge borne
diseases such as Lyme disease and Blue
Tongue. Some of our Lakes may also suffer
from periodic algal blooms in Summer.
Observed trends in Climate Change for NW Region 1961- 2006
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Annual
Change in Daily Mean Temp ( °C )
1.44
1.45
1.07
1.81
1.40
Change in Daily Max. Temp ( °C )
1.67
1.63
1.13
1.93
1.55
Change in Daily Min. Temp ( °C )
1.25
1.31
1.03
1.7
1.29
Change in Days of Air Frost
-5.9
-0.1
-3.2
-13.1
-24.4
% Change in Heating Degree days
-
-
-
-
-15.4
Absolute change in Cooling degree days
-
-
-
-
12.8
% Change in Total Precipitation
6.3
-13.2
5.6
43.0
8.8
Change in days of rain ≥ 1mm
0.4
-1.1
2.9
6.8
7.5
% Change in Relative Humidity
-2.3
-1.9
-2.3
-2.3
-2.2
• Milder winters will be characterised by
the earlier appearance of leaves on trees,
earlier arrival of migrating species like
swallows and insects, including agricultural
pests and earlier breeding times for many
species.
• Landscape changes may be subtle or
dramatic, but equally significant for the
fragile ecosystems that Cumbria supports.
Some species of plants, animals and birds
will disappear as conditions become too
hard for them to survive whilst other species
will move in to take their place. Warmer,
drier summers are predicted to reduce the
rate of recharge of wetland areas and bogs
with a decline (or total loss) in both habitat
and associated species.
• A series of comparatively dry summers and
winters may lead to water shortages, crop
failures and increasing cost of water with a
possible loss of water quality.
• Drier summers are likely to lead to an
increase in the number of outdoor fires and
demands on emergency services.
• Agricultural practices could change
significantly in order to cope with the
longer growing season and the reduced soil
moisture in summer ( or water logging in
Winter). Depending on the combination of
weather factors this will either result in more
vigorous plant growth or stunted, patchy
growth, prone to disease and crop failure.
Some years will be the best ever, other’s
very poor.
• Potentially more pressure will be placed
on our resources from increased numbers
of European tourists seeking holidays in a
more temperate climate.
Data Source UKCIP08: Changes from 1961-2006 based on linear trend.
Bold Type indicates a significance of the trend at the 95% level.
8
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 9
Introduction
At a glance ... weather changes in
Cumbria
Precipitation
Even with a scenario of low GHG emissions, the
average minimum temperature in the northwest
region could change by 2°C by 2080. With
high emissions of greenhouse gases the
temperature could rise by as much as 4°C or
5°C over the next eighty years.
Winter rainfall is set to increase in the region
over the next century. It could change by as
much as 30% with high emissions of greenhouse
gases.
Change in Daily Mean Temperature
°C 1961-2000 (Source UKCIP08)
10
Summer rainfall over the whole of the UK is
expected to decrease over the coming years
but with high emissions of greenhouse gases
the changes in the North West could be very
dramatic. Our rainfall could reduce by as much
as 50%.
Percentage Change in Total
Precipitation 1961-2000
(Source UKCIP08)
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 11
Introduction
Temperature
Energy use affects climate change. Fossil fuel
energy use generates greenhouse gases (GHG)
which in turn causes global warming and
climate change. Continued dependency on
fossil fuels is beginning to disrupt the way that
society functions and is threatening the stability
of the world economy. It is putting people at
risk, altering habitats around the world and
threatening many species with extinction.
Energy efficiency combined with demand
management needs to replace complacency
and energy wastage. If not, current trends
suggests that global energy demand in 2030
will be 50% higher than in 2006 and GHG
emissions up by 55%.
12
Government recognises that we need to
drastically increase the proportion of our
energy needs provided by renewable energy.
The Government currently has a target of
10% of electricity from renewables with an
aspirational target of 20% by 2020. It is
currently consulting on how the UK can meet its
fair share of the binding EU target of 20% from
renewables by 2020. The EU has proposed that
the UK’s contribution should increase the share
of renewables in the energy mix to 15% by
2020. Meeting this target will require a tenfold
increase in energy from renewables.
Plugging into
nature's power
and resources ...
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 13
Energy generation
Energy generation
The Government published a Nuclear White
Paper in 2008 in which it signalled its intention
to give energy companies the option to build
and operate new nuclear power plant along
with proposals to reduce risks to operators
from investing and operating new nuclear
power stations. This resurgence of support for
nuclear power is partly based on a combination
of security of supply considerations and on
the conclusion reached by Government that
nuclear power, when viewed over its entire
lifecycle, is a low carbon source of energy
comparable to wind power. This view is not
universally held but the research material cited
by Government appears to support this view.
However there remains some uncertainty about
what is included in these life cycle analyses. The
Government is nonetheless confident enough to
declare nuclear power a low carbon option and
an essential part of future UK energy generation
mix.
14
Nationally major investment in replacement
generation is required over the next 15 years
to produce around 22 GW to replace that lost
from retirement of ageing nuclear and coal
plant. Diminishing supplies of oil, continuing
increased global demand for energy and rising
oil and gas prices underpin the Government’s
drive to achieve 20% of national electricity
supply from renewables by 2020.
Currently 3 Bills are passing through Parliament
which, once approved, will bring about a
number of significant changes. These will
facilitate faster deployment of renewables and
make legally binding the 60% (possibly higher)
carbon reduction target, with at least 26%
reduction by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.
Other changes proposed are the introduction of
5 year rolling carbon budgets and a mechanism
to speed up planning decisions on nationally
significant infrastructure proposals to tackle
climate change. In addition a UK renewable
energy strategy is expected in early 2009
and this will set out how the UK will deliver
its share of the EU’s 20% renewables target.
Also due in 2009 is a low carbon homes
strategy. Progress on introducing the Carbon
Reduction Commitment (CRC) continues. This
is a compulsory carbon emissions trading
scheme which will affect around 5,000 large
non-intensive energy users in both the private
and public sectors. The CRC is expected to
commence in 2010 and is predicted to reduce
carbon emissions by 1.2MtC per annum.
Cumbrian dimension
Locally the electricity network remains vulnerable
to the impacts of severe storms, particularly in
rural areas, and the grid is insufficiently flexible
to accommodate new connections to renewable
energy sources. Action is needed to address
grid capacity constraints in Cumbria to enable
new energy sources to be connected at a price
that does not deter investment.
Cumbria's current capacity for energy
generation is relatively small. The power station
at Roosecote is rated at 220MW but operates
to meet peak domestic demand and supplies
around 800 GWh of electricity annually. Only
a small proportion of Cumbria's energy is
generated from renewable sources. Data for
2007 indicates 81.5 MW of on-shore wind
either operational or with planning permission
and likely to proceed. Off-shore wind adds
another 288MW (operational or planned). Data
for 2002 suggests small scale hydro and landfill
gas add around 799 kW and 3.1 MW capacity
respectively.
Cumbria's natural resources are likely to be
called upon to provide energy services for the
region utilising opportunities for wind, sea/
tidal and biomass. Landscape quality and
designation makes it difficult to substantially
increase this proportion without opposition
since the majority of schemes proposed are for
on-shore turbines.
Proposals have been submitted to Government
to transform West Cumbria into Britain's
Energy Coast utilising existing nuclear skills
and assets to construct and manage new
generation nuclear plant fuelled by recycling
stocks of nuclear waste. These proposals would
also seek to maximise other opportunities for
renewable power generation and renewable
technology manufacturing, building on existing
environmental technologies skills and knowledge
base. The proposals fit well with Government
policy aims of combating climate change and
reducing risks to energy supply. If they proceed,
they could transform the local economy and
make Cumbria a net exporter of energy.
The potential exists to boost the economy
through the manufacture and supply of
renewable energy equipment for the domestic
market and for industrial and commercial use.
Tidal and wave power are not considered to
have the same potential as other coastal areas
that are fully exposed to the Atlantic although
proposals are being assembled for Morecambe
Bay and the Solway Estuary.
There are currently no plans for generating
energy from household waste in Cumbria
although there is potential for this. Likewise
the agricultural community has an opportunity
to benefit from anaerobic digestion facilities
which process food wastes and farm slurries
to produce methane for heating and power
generation. Increased pressure can be
expected on methane emissions in future as
the Government’s focus widens onto all GHG
emissions.
2005 baseline data exists for energy use and
carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2 e)
across all sectors (industry, transport, housing
etc.).
Likely impact of climate change
on energy
Reliance on carbon based energy use is one of
the main causes of global warming and climate
change and because of this Government is
directing society and the economy to reduce
demand and switch to renewable energy
sources. This is taking place in stages as
awareness increases, taxes and incentives kick
in and the price of carbon fuels rise. Increased
global demand and commodity market
speculation has pushed up oil and gas prices
sharply during 2008. Combined with lower
production rates in future, increasing demand
and scarcity will continue the upward trend
in prices. This will present society with real
challenges. If oil production peaks and tails off
("peak oil") over the next few years then many
Cumbrians will be badly affected. Many people
are already struggling to heat their homes and
cope with the escalating cost of food, other
goods and services and transport costs. In many
ways the current oil price hike has provided a
foretaste of the "peak oil" scenario. Clearly this
has serious implications for Cumbria's carbon
based economy and rural settlements.
Rising oil costs generally trigger investment in
energy efficiency and more recently investment
in renewable energy has increased. This tends
to be easier for companies and public sector
organisations. It is much harder at the domestic
scale to switch from oil or butane to renewables
when investment costs are high, pay back
periods are relatively long and grant aid is
relatively low.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 15
Energy generation
Currently 42% of UK carbon emissions result
from actions by individuals while the remaining
58% arise from economic activity. Analysis
of the average individual’s carbon emissions
suggest that 45% arise from a combination of
household space heating, hot water heating and
lighting with a further 12% arising from cooking
and household appliance use. Most of the UK's
electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels.
In 2006, 37% of electricity was generated from
coal, 36% from natural gas, 1% from oil, 18%
from nuclear and 4% from renewables. A further
3% was provided by continental imports. These
figures demonstrate clearly that the proportion
of electricity supplied by fossil fuels and that
supplied by renewables needs to change
significantly. This makes the Government’s 20%
target from renewables look inadequate in the
longer term. More recent data (2008) shows
that renewables have increased to 4.9% with
a total of 2.39GW of wind capacity installed
on land and off shore with a further 9.44GW
in the planning system. Other developments
include the announcement towards the end of
2007 of a Government commissioned feasibility
study of a tidal energy scheme in the Severn
Estuary thought to be capable of producing
around 5% of current UK electricity demand.
What is happening already?
Proposals have been presented to Government
that aim to release £500m of public sector
funding to be matched by an equal amount of
private sector investment. The proposal would
transform West Cumbria into Britain's Energy
Coast. This fits with national policy aims of
energy security and tackling climate change.
It is anticipated that the funding would
regenerate the local economy by, inter
alia, funding research and business and
manufacturing opportunities related to nuclear
new build and renewable energy technologies.
The lobbying document was publicly launched
in July 2008.
A recent report commissioned on behalf of
the Cumbria Strategic Partnership into the
effects of climate change legislation on the
Cumbrian economy recommended a number
of interventions which together could catalyse
a resurgence in economic activity, with parallel
benefits for society and the natural environment.
Cumbria was identified as having a comparative
advantage in this respect, if the interventions
take place.
The report also examined sources of carbon
emissions in Cumbria. Some 3.8m tonnes of
CO2 are emitted by industry and commerce with
1.2m tonnes from households. This represents
69% of Cumbria’s total carbon footprint.
The potential for nuclear new build in the
County and the need to upgrade the electricity
transmission grid to accept both small and large
scale installations was emphasised.
16
The report also identified the need to help local
businesses reduce their carbon emissions and
energy costs and therefore improve their overall
viability. This will reduce the numbers of carbon
dependent jobs at risk and create new jobs
primarily in a ‘greener tourism destination’,
from the expansion of the biomass sector, in
the energy supply chain and in manufacturing.
Other opportunities exist associated with
microgeneration. Further jobs would also be
safeguarded in the existing nuclear industry
and relating to large scale wind energy
development.
Other research shows there is potential for small
scale hydro-schemes in parts of the County.
Cumbria Woodlands is raising the profile of
woodfuel as a heat source. There are a number
of isolated installations of various types of
small scale renewable energy in Cumbria and
the community sector is well placed to pioneer
renewables installation in community buildings
using grant schemes to reduce installation costs.
The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), currently
awaiting Government approval, contains
several policies in support of the North West
Sustainable Energy Strategy designed to deliver
20% of electricity from renewables by 2020. For
Cumbria the indicative targets are 284 MW by
2015 and 293 MW by 2020.
Spatial planning will have a major role
in ensuring that the Local Development
Frameworks currently being produced support
the renewables targets contained in the draft
RSS and are flexible enough to accommodate
and support the outcomes which the
Government decide to pursue to help deliver
the EU’s proposed target of 15% of energy
across electricity and heat (plus transport) from
renewables by 2020.
Industry and commerce as the largest users of
energy in Cumbria will need to improve energy
efficiency, minimise wastage and invest in
renewables. Combined heat and power (CHP)
is an option favoured by many large companies
and coupled with an increased emphasis on
energy efficiency may be a more attractive
option for industry.
In support of this broad approach there is a
need to develop and support local supply chains
for woodfuel and wood burning technologies.
The need to develop other supply chains and
installation capability on a range of small
scale renewables, at both the domestic and
commercial scale, is crucial to delivering targets
on renewables.
Capital investment for energy generation
projects is a barrier to progress. Various grant
schemes exist to subsidise installation but the
resulting capital investment required is often
prohibitive. More needs to be done to explore
and draw down opportunities for funding and
to develop a more creative approach to funding
localised energy generation from renewables.
There is a particular opportunity to tackle
climate change and fuel poverty in rural
communities that are not connected to the
mains gas grid, by funding localised generation
capacity. This will reduce exposure to rising
oil and propane costs and help maintain the
viability of rural communities.
What more needs to be done locally?
Cumbria will need to respond to the range of
policy initiatives being developed by national
and regional government. Already a renewables
panel has been established in support of the
Energy and Environmental Technologies section
of the emerging Cumbria Economic Strategy.
The Panel will attempt to capture opportunities
and funding to support an expansion in the
renewables sector including local manufacturing
of energy technologies. The potential exists to
generate more renewable energy on a domestic,
community and commercial scale particularly
from small-scale hydro, woodfuel, waste and
also from wave power.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 17
Energy generation
The switch to a low carbon society opens up
opportunities within the economy both within
the energy supply chain and the service sector.
Spatial planning and investment decisions will
increasingly be guided by low carbon solutions
on energy use. ICT will increasingly be used to
reduce the need to travel and maximise energy
efficiency.
The location of housing in relation to other
facilities (bus routes, schools, shops and jobs)
can influence personal mobility choices and
therefore generate or reduce greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions. Construction methods,
orientation, design, levels of insulation, choice of
heating systems, energy consumption, materials
selected all influence the level of GHG emissions
from houses and buildings. Similarly location,
supporting infrastructure and the way in which
buildings function also affects GHG emissions.
18
Some buildings generate considerable traffic
flows and GHG emissions e.g. edge of town
shopping centres, supermarkets and large
employment sites. There are very few examples
of truly sustainable housing schemes either
in existence or planned. Currently the built
environment and supporting infrastructure
are responsible for about 50% of UK carbon
emissions and 1% of global emissions. Spatial
planning, the management of public buildings
and social housing are central to any action
plan to reduce GHG emissions. The focus needs
to rise above individual homes and buildings to
include contemporary place shaping strategies
and plans for towns, villages and districts.
Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) need to
incorporate specific carbon reduction targets
and policies on adaptation.
All new homes
… safe, strong and inclusive
communities
health and
well-being throughout life
…
zero carbon by 2016 ...
Children and young people will see bright
prospects and diverse opportunities. They
will get the best possible start in life and be
empowered to get involved in their communities.
Young people have an important part to play in
Cumbria’s future and they will be provided with
excellent learning and training opportunities to
help them achieve.
We will live healthier lives and enjoy high
quality support whatever our health and social
care needs.
all other new buildings
are committed toby
involving
people more in
toWe
follow
2020
decisions in their lives and their communities.
Our communities will be made safer, stronger
and more inclusive by helping more people to
get involved and make a difference to the place
they live, confident that everything is being done
to further reduce crime, disorder and anti-social
behaviour.
Health inequalities across the county will be
reduced by targeting neighbourhoods in
greatest need.
Cumbria will be a great place for people
to enjoy active, healthy and fulfilling lives.
We will value the contribution that people of
all ages make to the social, economic and
cultural diversity of the county. In particular we
recognise the contribution that older people
make to the community. We want to empower
Cumbria’s older population to influence and
shape their communities, live independently
and have maximum control over decisions
that affect them.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 19
vision
Housing andThe
buildings
Housing and buildings
The relationship between houses and buildings
and climate change is particularly strong.
Buildings last a long time and by and large
suffer from design inflexibility. Reducing energy
use and GHG emissions from existing stock
requires significant funding and presents a
considerable challenge, given the diversity of
funding streams and different programmes
aimed at failing housing markets or decent
homes rather than refurbishment designed to
reduce the carbon footprint of existing homes
and buildings.
The Cumbrian dimension
The Cumbrian Housing Strategy (2006-2011)
deals with various housing issues in Cumbria
but does not directly address climate change.
It does however seek to create ‘decent homes’,
the definition of which includes ‘a reasonable
degree of thermal comfort’.
House condition surveys have been carried out
across the 6 districts between 1999 and 2006.
While standards for measuring decent homes
have changed in recent years the data suggests
that around 9% of housing in Copeland is unfit,
6% in both Barrow and Allerdale, 3% in Carlisle
and Eden, with 4% unfit in South Lakeland. The
social housing sector is expected to meet 100%
of the modest target for decent homes by 2010.
Private rented housing accounts for around 10%
of the housing stock in Cumbria and these tend
to be in the worst condition. However, the major
part of Cumbrian housing is owner occupied,
with a higher than national average level of
both older properties and older inhabitants. The
Government has set a target to ensure that 70%
of vulnerable private sector households meet the
decent homes standard by 2015.
20
The Cumbrian Housing Strategy contains
policies on energy efficiency. The Home Energy
Conservation Act 1995 introduced targets to
reduce CO2 emissions and improve domestic
energy efficiency by 30% by 2010. There are
additional decent homes standards on effective
insulation and efficient heating. The majority of
homes that fail the decent homes standard do
so because of thermal inefficiency. All Cumbrian
districts have been working with Cumbria
Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (soon to be
Cumbria and Lancashire Energy Saving Trust
Advice Centre or ESTAC) to access funding from
utility companies to provide subsidised energy
efficiency measures. Various grant schemes are
also utilised to help the vulnerable stay warm,
promote renewable energy and improve energy
efficiency of privately rented properties.
Little is known about the carbon footprint of
buildings in Cumbria (both residential and
non-residential) although some progress has
been made by local authorities in terms of their
own energy efficiency. Defra figures for CO2
emissions (2005) from Cumbrian households
indicate approximately 1.28 million tonnes CO2
per annum or 2.58 tonnes per household. The
CREA building in Penrith, Gamblesby village
hall and Cockermouth Eco-Centre all stand
out as low carbon buildings though CREA and
Cockermouth School continue to generate high
levels of car traffic.
Likely impact of climate change on
housing and buildings
Changing weather patterns, rising temperatures
and extreme weather events will combine and
act on existing homes and buildings in a way
that will increasingly test the ability of the design
and construction of homes and buildings to
function as planned. Equally the urban setting
in which buildings tend to be located will be
tested. The number of failures of being recorded
in services (drainage and energy supply) when
tested by extreme weather events is growing.
Existing homes and buildings will inevitably
become less pleasant places in which to live
and work without extensive and expensive
modification. Existing buildings will become
increasingly expensive to heat and cool using
carbon based systems and less desirable than
newer homes and buildings of better design,
offering significantly lower running costs.
The built environment is therefore a major
source of GHG emissions and a major
contributor to climate change. Improvements
here offer a major potential to reduce carbon
emissions.
Whilst the planning system is encouraging
economic development and major population
growth to be concentrated in and around
major settlements, rising fuel costs are making
rural living increasingly expensive. This trend
is expected to continue. Predictions that both
transport and heating costs will double or triple
by 2020 appear almost certain. However, it is
not easy to predict whether urban migration
will gather pace (with attendant pressure on
infrastructure) or stay at its current trickle (with
consequent increases in poverty and carbon
footprint).
Increased risk of flooding is already affecting
some parts of Cumbria whilst sea level rises
are predicted to impact adversely on a number
of Cumbrian settlements, though perhaps less
severely than elsewhere in the UK. Planners and
developers will need to work closely with the
Environment Agency to minimize risk to both
existing and new buildings.
The carbon footprint of buildings doesn’t just
relate to energy use but also needs to factor in
the high transport costs of bringing in materials.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 21
Housing and buildings
European research suggests buildings consume
around 40% of all energy produced and that
by increasing their energy efficiency, carbon
emissions from buildings can be reduced by
around 22%. Amongst non-residential dwellings,
retail premises, offices and education facilities
are the largest energy users followed by
healthcare and hospitality buildings.
Government has decided that all new homes
should be zero carbon by 2016 with building
regulations raising energy performance
standards by 25% by 2010 and 44% by
2013 as interim steps. Government funding to
Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) is conditional
on new homes meeting level 3 of the Code
for Sustainable Homes. Energy Performance
Certificates have already been introduced for
homes, public and commercial buildings and
this may introduce market pressures to drive
up energy efficiency standards of existing
stock. Action on delivering significant carbon
savings from new commercial buildings is under
consideration as is mandatory rating of all new
housing against the Code for Sustainable Homes
by May 2008. Proposals for micro-generation
are also being developed. Micro-generation
is estimated to have the potential to reduce
household carbon emissions by 15%.
The Code for Sustainable Homes will enable
prospective buyers of new housing to make
a more informed choice through a greater
understanding of the environmental impact and
potential running costs of new homes and it
will also allow developers of sustainable homes
to gain an edge in an increasingly difficult
and competitive market place. A similar code
has been proposed for new non-domestic
buildings. Inevitably this will involve significant
construction cost increases since many new
industrial buildings are relatively low cost sheds.
Nonetheless research indicates that zero carbon
non-domestic new build can be delivered by
2020.
22
What more needs to be done locally?
In Cumbria, the annual Green Build Fortnight is
raising awareness by showcasing best practice
examples. The Cumbria Energy Efficiency
Advice Centre (CEEAC) provides advice to
householders across Cumbria working in
partnership with other agencies including
housing associations and large employers.
The Cumbria Business Environment Network
(CBEN) provides advice on a range of issues
including energy efficiency to companies.
Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council,
South Lakeland District Council and the Lake
District National Park Authority (LDNPA) are
now actively engaged in a Carbon Management
Programme operated through The Carbon
Trust, while the other districts are considering
participating in the Programme. The LDNPA
has committed to being Carbon Neutral by
2012, whilst Natural England will cut CO2 from
2005-06 levels by 50% by 2010. A locally run
project is also improving energy management in
community centres.
At Thirlemere, Impact Housing is tackling
fuel poverty in 18 tenanted homes through
improvements to insulation and the supply
of cheaper heating made possible by the
installation of a biomass district heating scheme.
It has set up Impact Affordable Energy to enable
it further support its tenants by controlling the
cost of heating.
The built environment is a significant source
of GHG emissions and will also be affected
by climate change. If Cumbria is to reduce its
carbon footprint then there is a need to gather
baseline information on energy use in housing,
the commercial and public buildings sectors and
to set targets to improve energy efficiency and
reduce CO2 emissions. These targets would need
to exceed those in Part L 2006 with separate
targets for existing and new development.
Achieving this requires a step change in the
planning process across Cumbria so that
LDFs clearly specify targets for new housing
development that dovetails with and tracks the
Government’s zero carbon homes proposed
targets. The programme for retrofitting
existing housing stock with energy efficiency
measures will contribute to national targets
on carbon reduction. Work will be required
to identify and assess energy efficiency and
calculate the carbon emissions generated by
existing housing in Cumbria. Resources will
need to be found to help gather this baseline
information. In addition, due to the higher
costs of retrofitting existing buildings, there is a
clear need for additional levels of Government
support, a challenge that will require Cumbrian
organisations to position themselves to take
more advantage of national, regional and even
European funding. Once sound baseline data
has been assembled then stretch targets can be
set and the funding requirement calculated.
Targets for commercial and public sector new
build can be set to mirror zero carbon homes
targets on an equally ambitious timescale using
BREEAM standards. CBEN can help establish
mechanisms to measure existing business energy
use and carbon emissions profiles, potentially
developing outreach programmes to help
convert and grant aid the transition of existing
commercial building stock to lower carbon
operations. Public sector movement towards
lower energy use and fewer carbon emissions
from schools, hospitals and offices needs
to be driven by the CSP through individual
public sector organisations. This will involve a
significant programme of energy audits and
budgeting for improvements.
Existing grant regimes need to be explored
and exploited to the full. CEEAC and CBEN
could lead on this along with individual public
sector energy managers. The introduction
of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC)
will encourage lower emissions from higher
commercial energy users currently operating
outside of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme,
with further support to minimise carbon
emissions offered by programmes such as
ENWORKS.
However, in the private sector, major challenges
lie ahead for low income and elderly owner
occupiers. Local agencies will need to work with
them to encourage greater thermal efficiency,
possibly through ‘save to invest’ type loans.
A ‘step change’ in the prudent use of Cumbria’s
renewable natural resources (wood, sun, solar,
wind and water) will help to reduce emissions,
with woodfuel potentially offering a medium
term, practical alternative for heating in some
circumstances. An increased use of locally
sourced, sustainable building materials (timber
frames, wool and paper insulation, for example)
would provide opportunities for lowering carbon
footprints and adding value to the Cumbrian
economy.
RSLs, architects, builders and planners need
to be made aware of the CSP strategy and
Government targets on climate change
through a series of events and the extent
to which delivery depends on their actions,
their willingness and ability to incorporate
microgeneration, to produce low carbon design
and construction.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 23
Housing and buildings
What is happening already?
… safe, strong and inclusive
communities
Protecting public health
Children and young people will see bright
and well-being from the adverse
prospects and diverse opportunities. They
will get the best possible start in life and be
effects of a changing climate
empowered to get involved in their communities.
Young people have an important part to play in
Cumbria’s future and they will be provided with
excellent learning and training opportunities to
help them achieve.
Our communities will be made safer, stronger
and more inclusive by helping more people to
get involved and make a difference to the place
they live, confident that everything is being done
to further reduce crime, disorder and anti-social
behaviour.
24
health and
well-being throughout life
…
We will live healthier lives and enjoy high
quality support whatever our health and social
care needs.
We are committed to involving people more in
decisions in their lives and their communities.
Health inequalities across the county will be
reduced by targeting neighbourhoods in
greatest need.
Cumbria will be a great place for people
to enjoy active, healthy and fulfilling lives.
We will value the contribution that people of
all ages make to the social, economic and
cultural diversity of the county. In particular we
recognise the contribution that older people
make to the community. We want to empower
Cumbria’s older population to influence and
shape their communities, live independently
and have maximum control over decisions
that affect them.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 25
Health
Health
Quantitative estimates of the possible impacts of
climate change on health in the United Kingdom
were addressed in a Department of Health
report (2001/2002) – ‘Health Effects of Climate
Change in the UK,’ updated in 2008. Climate
change has been described as the world’s most
urgent public health problem. Failure to act now
risks a widening of health inequalities, whereas
taking strong and early action will deliver a
range of health improvement benefits. Health
effects of climate change have already occurred
and will continue to occur more frequently.
Epidemiologists know that climatic factors are
important determinants of human health and
well being. The World Health Organisation
(WHO) recently calculated that around 150,000
deaths and 5.5 million DALYs (deaths and
disability adjusted life years) were being lost
every year due to the effects of climate change.
The WHO estimates that both these figures could
double in the next 25 years. Increases in heart
disease, obesity and other chronic diseases, as
well as an increasingly aged population, will
mean that a greater number of the people will
be susceptible to heat related deaths.
26
Health impacts and wider social
impacts of climate change across
the UK and in Cumbria can be
summarised as follows:
• Heatwave-related health problems:
The average temperature in the North West
is predicted to increase. Heatwaves are
predicted to become more frequent resulting
in increased heat and pollution-related
illness (cardio-respiratory) together with
a rise in the number of deaths associated
with the hotter, drier summers. In the UK
an additional 2,000 heat related deaths a
year by 2050 are predicted. The very old,
young, chronically ill and deprived are most
susceptible. The rapidly ageing population
of Cumbria will exacerbate this impact.
• River, Coastal Flooding and Flash
Floods: The risk of major flooding
disasters caused by severe winter gales,
heavy rainfall and coastal erosion is likely
to increase contamination of drinking
water, increase waterborne infections and
exposure to toxic pollutants, accompanied
with psychological consequences,
disruption, injuries and deaths. Drinking
water supplies will be affected by increased
rainfall. A combination of increased
numbers of bacteria in surface water,
increased water temperature leading to
algal blooms in reservoirs, and a decrease
in the efficiency of chemical coagulation.
River floods or storm surges, which can be
forecast several days in advance, often have
fewer casualties compared to flash floods
where there is no prior warning. All types
of flooding may leave longer lasting stress
and mental health problems.
• Infectious diseases: Cases of food
poisoning (Campylobactor infections,
Salmonellosis) and waterborne disease
(Cryptosporidiosis) are linked to warm
weather. Cases of food poisoning are
likely to increase significantly in the UK, by
perhaps 10,000 cases per year.
• Vector-borne diseases: (Lyme disease)
may present local problems due to changes
in eco-systems leading to changes in
vector-pathogen-host relationships, but the
increase in their overall impact is likely to
be small.
• Mould: Milder, more humid winters will
lead to more mould growth in housing
– already a major cause of respiratory
allergies.
• Cancer and Cataracts: Due to the
warmer, sunnier conditions cases of skin
cancer are likely to increase by 5,000 cases
per year in the UK by 2050.
• Water and food shortages: Drought
may increase the risk of infectious diseases
due to reduced public and personal hygiene
and increased risk of water contamination.
There may be an increase in cases of
dehydration due to inadequate water
intake. There is the chance of increased
mental health problems due to anxiety
caused by loss of water supply and
introduction of emergency measures.
Food prices are likely to increase due to
increasing production costs. This will require
a greater need for local food production as
fewer people will be able to access healthy,
affordable food.
• Extreme weather-related events:
These are likely to lead to social disruption,
injuries, death, disability, migration and
food shortages, as well as placing unusual
strain on the local emergency services. How
managers prepare and pay for the costs of
these events will also become of increasing
concern.
However, measures taken to address greenhouse
gas emissions could have a positive impact
on health through the promotion of active
travel, resulting in improved physical health
and a reduction in obesity. An increase in the
availability of fresh, local food may also benefit
health. Meanwhile, improvements in air quality
will lead to reduced respiratory illness.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 27
Health
Climate Change likely impact on
Health
What’s happening already?
What more needs to be done?
Cumbria has its own particular challenges
when adapting to the health impacts of climate
change. Cumbria has an aging population
with the number of people over 65 above the
UK average. It suffers from pockets of urban
deprivation whilst simultaneously over 50% of
its population live in rural areas. The average
distance that people have to travel to see a
GP in Cumbria is twice the national average,
in some cases as much as 16km. Poverty in
rural areas is often underestimated as it is not
spatially concentrated; however, 38% of all
people on low income in Cumbria live in rural
areas.
There are national plans and guidelines for
handling extreme weather events. The Heat
Wave Plan for England outlines what needs to
be done by health and social care services and
other bodies to raise awareness of risks relating
to severe hot weather and what preparations
both individuals and organisations should make
to reduce those risks. The plan also spells out the
responsibilities at both national and local level
for alerting people once a heatwave has been
forecast, and advising them what to do during
a heatwave. The Extreme Weather Plan sets out
similar arrangements to cope with the effects of
storms and flooding.
Cumbrian NHS organisations will have to
respond to a number of policy initiatives at
both a national and regional government
level related to saving carbon and improving
health. The NHS has currently published for
consultation ‘Saving Carbon, Improving Health’.
This document challenges NHS England to meet
and exceed the national target to reduce NHS
carbon emissions by 60% by 2050. The strategy
is the first step in taking forward a sustainable
development programme for NHS England.
The increase in food prices will lead to an
increase in the number of people in Cumbria
who are unable to access affordable, healthy
food. In Cumbria there are a limited number
of local allotments to enable people to produce
home grown fruit and vegetables. Waiting lists
for people wanting an allotment is also long; in
Barrow-in-Furness, for example, some allotments
have a 5 year waiting list. A survey has recently
been carried out by the Cumbria Association of
Local Councils and South Lakeland Action on
Climate Change. The survey shows that there
are 758 allotment plots in South Lakeland, 350
people on the waiting list for a plot and the
demand for plots is increasing.
The Health Protection Agency Guidelines (2000)
cover the public health implications of flooding
which include general advice on protecting
against infection, and specific advice about
returning to a flooded home, the dangers of
electricity, drinking water, food preparation and
storage. In Cumbria a Multi Agency Response
Plan has been established to respond to
flooding.
It is difficult to say what mortality, diseases and
allergies are due to climate change in Cumbria.
However, after the Carlisle floods in 2005 there
were three deaths, 1,925 homes and business
flooded (to 2 metres), 3,000+ people homeless
for up to 12 months, 40,000 addresses without
power, whilst 3,000 jobs were also put at risk.
Two national campaigns for weather related
events are already active. These include
SunSmart, the UK’s national skin cancer
campaign and ‘Keep Warm, Keep Well’, a
campaign about giving information and advice
about staying well in Winter by keeping warm.
Cumbria Primary Care Trust supports both the
SunSmart and the ‘Keep Warm, Keep Well’
national campaigns; however resources have
only been allocated to deliver these campaigns
in the south of the County. Cumbria Energy
Efficiency Advice Centre is working throughout
Cumbria to access subsidised energy efficiency
measures to help vulnerable people to stay
warm.
Health
Cumbria dimension
There is also a need to raise awareness amongst
the public of the potential health impacts of
climate change and of the risks of over exposure
to the sun. Cumbria Primary Care Trust needs
to ensure that it adheres to the Department of
Health ‘Heat Wave’ Plan and other national
plans and guidelines for handling extreme
weather events.
Certain groups are more prone to the health
impacts of climate change such as the young,
people living in deprivation and older people.
Therefore, when planning for adaptation,
vulnerable people are likely to require special
consideration.
The increase in food prices due to climate
change could lead to an increase in health
inequalities by increasing the number of people
not being able to access affordable, healthy
food. Work needs to be done to support local
people to access affordable, healthy food and
to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Support
is needed for local food initiatives such as food
co-ops, playground markets and allotment
groups as well as making more land available
for such groups to grow their own produce.
There are examples of good practice that are
addressing local, affordable food production.
Examples include Feeding Brampton whose
activities involve research, gardens, allotments,
commercial production and retailing, and the
new project in the Four Groves area of Barrow
which includes a Vegetable Delivery Service.
28
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 29
Maximising opportunities
for business and jobs
presented by a
low carbon economy
30
Industry and commerce uses energy to heat
and light premises, provide services, operate
machinery, secure supplies and move finished
products to market. Employees also travel on
business and commute to work. Energy use is
a principal source of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions. Industry also generates energy and
produces fuels for sale. Renewable energy is
part of the energy mix provided by industry.
Industry and commerce together account for
25.5% of UK energy consumption which equates
to some 44 million tonnes of oil equivalent. UK
industrial energy consumption is following a
downward trend in contrast to service sector
consumption which has increased by around
80% since 1980. National policy allows energy
intensive companies to enter climate change
agreements with Government to reduce liability
under the climate change levy and requires
large energy users to participate in the EU
Emissions Trading Scheme which provides both
incentives and disincentives to reduce GHG
emissions. Neither scheme however encourages
carbon reduction amongst the wider business
and public sectors. A new Carbon Reduction
Commitment will be introduced in 2009 to
deliver carbon savings of 1.3 Mtc per year
from large commercial and public sector
organisations, including schools whose 2008
half-hourly metered electricity use is above
6,000 MWh.
Building a successful future economy, in the
face of rising fossil fuel prices and diminishing
reserves of oil, requires industry and commerce
to look beyond energy efficiency and planning
to cope with extreme weather events. It requires
an understanding of the market potential and
needs of a low carbon society, including support
for renewables in businesses. A low carbon
economy opens up possibilities for innovation,
entrepreneurship, regeneration, jobs and a
significant boost to GVA in Cumbria. The
Government has set a 60% carbon reduction
target by 2050. Similar targets apply in Europe.
These will stimulate the market for low carbon
goods and services affecting household goods,
energy supply, transport, housing and a whole
raft of commodity goods procured by industry,
commerce and the public sector.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 31
Industry and commerce
Industry and commerce
Cumbria’s economy is difficult to characterise
in part because each district has a distinct
localised economy. Large numbers of small
shops, pubs, restaurants, solicitors, accountants
and small services and repair businesses
exist across the county but few medium sized
employers. Nonetheless industry and commerce
in Cumbria emits just over 3.8m tonnes (52%)
of total carbon dioxide emissions of which
988,000 tonnes are attributable to 14 large
manufacturing sites. Tourism emissions are
estimated between 750,000 tonnes and just
over 1m tonnes.
Groups like the Cumbria Business Environment
Network (CBEN), and the Cumbria Green
Business Forum, support organisations on
environmental issues and provide advice
on reducing GHG emissions and adapting
to climate change. More could be done if
additional staff resources and funding was
available to provide grants to assist business to
install more energy efficient, carbon reducing
technology. Agriculture is important but employs
comparatively few people. Manufacturing is a
significant employer in the West of the county
but less so in the East and South where the
hospitality industry dominates. Manufacturing
employs over 30,000 people and generates
£1,679m in Gross Value Added (a measure
of wealth created). Mining and quarrying,
electricity, gas and water supply are important
rural employers. Combined they employ around
1500 and generate £158m GVA. The public
sector (administration, education and health
combined) employs about a quarter of the
workforce. Construction and transport employ
9,700 and 11,300 respectively and together
contribute £900m in GVA. The finance and
real estate sector employs 18,000 people
and generates £830m while the retail sector
employs around 38,500 and contributes £868m
in GVA. Upland agriculture is particularly
fragile. Combined with hunting, forestry and
fishing the sector employs about 3,500 people
and generates £184m of Cumbria’s GVA.
Tourism is rapidly becoming a mainstay of
32
the economy in many areas employing over
23,000 and contributing some £350m to the
economy. GVA generated in Cumbria is rising
more slowly than in other parts of the economy
reflecting the structure, the lack of financial and
business service jobs, rurality, and a decline in
manufacturing industry.
Likely impacts of a changing climate
on industry and commerce
A wide range of business is likely to be affected
by changes in weather patterns and extreme
weather events. Any businesses involved in
exports and imports and those with product
ranges linked to seasonal demand will probably
be affected by climate change. Profits can also
be affected by changing climate as transport
systems, telephone networks, water and
electricity distribution systems and premises
become increasingly vulnerable to weather
related events like floods, storms, subsidence
and landslip. Road and rail networks are also
vulnerable to high temperatures and extreme
rainfall and will increasingly disrupt travel
and transport of materials. IT systems are also
susceptible to power supply interruptions and
this may interrupt communications and bring
down web sites.
for specific types of crop or livestock. Demand
for low carbon refrigeration for storage and
transport is likely to increase. Water supplies
may become scarce or contaminated through
flooding.
Infrastructure for transport, water supplies
and electricity are particularly vulnerable.
The tourist sector is vulnerable to global and
domestic changes to weather. Sustained higher
temperatures and reduced water supply will
make some European resort areas unattractive.
Domestic tourism may benefit from this. Demand
for air conditioning is expected to rise. Some
beaches may disappear through a combination
of storms and rising sea levels. This may affect
coastal tourism. Riverside hotels and coastal
caravan sites may become prone to flooding
and suffer disruption of business and insurance
problems. Lower river flows may also reduce
the attractiveness of some locations for tourists.
Other factors underpinning tourism may also be
vulnerable, particularly historic attractions and
some habitats and species. Rising temperatures
are likely to bring more visitors and extend the
tourist season.
In general terms chemical processes may need
to be redesigned to deal with temperature
sensitive volatile chemicals. Lower river flows
will restrict water extraction and aqueous
waste discharges. Supply chain vulnerability
may necessitate additional materials storage
capacity.
Climate change will challenge the construction
industry in terms of low carbon construction
and climatic resilience of buildings. Changing
weather patterns may also delay construction
programmes. Changing weather patterns will
affect crops, crop diseases and crop quality and
may ultimately lead to purchasers switching to
new suppliers who are more favourably located.
Diversification into other produce may prove
difficult if there has been significant investment
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 33
Industry and commerce
The Cumbrian dimension
Indirectly climate change will affect all
businesses through Government regulation
of carbon emissions and the use of taxation
to encourage a shift towards a low carbon
economy. Local policy changes are afoot
that will require microgeneration in new
development. As the public policy response
picks up, yesterday’s solutions to economic
expansion and growth will increasingly become
redundant.
Climate change also brings opportunities
for regeneration in energy generation and
associated environmental technologies. This is
covered in more detail in the Energy section of
this document.
What’s happening already?
Business generally is keen to control overheads
and manage energy costs, particularly when
electricity, heating and transport costs are
rising. Investing in energy efficiency measures
is fairly widespread. To date the driving force
has been the need to control overheads and
maintain profits rather than reduce greenhouse
gases. Concern about a company’s reputation
is leading to an increase in corporate social
responsibility reporting.
Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency provides a
range of consultancy advice on environmental
management including energy efficiency and
carbon footprinting. This programme is linked
to the Cumbria Business Environment Network
Awards scheme. Similar consultancy advice is
provided to farms which may lead to further
reductions in GHG, though this is not the
principal aim of the programme.
There are a number of small firms - around
13 - that have been established to supply and
install microgeneration technologies (solar
heating, ground and air source heat pumps,
wood fuel, wind turbines, photovoltaic cells and
small scale hydro). A further 5 companies are
located in Cumbria in what can be described
as the energy efficiency sector including one
that is researching and piloting underwater tidal
turbines.
Broadband expansion throughout the County
offers new opportunities for connectivity
allowing local companies to compete for work
at home and abroad and execute large parts
of the contract over the internet without the
need for travel. Unfortunately broadband is
not yet available to all businesses, and it is
unclear what the priorities for next generation
broadband in Cumbria will be.
The tourist sector has already begun to develop
a range of adaptation strategies and is involved
with a range of initiatives geared to reducing
visitor pressures on uplands, protecting cultural
heritage and promoting the need for indoor wet
weather facilities.
What more needs to be done locally?
Business as a whole needs to improve energy
efficiency, particularly amongst SMEs. Business
also needs to focus on reducing carbon
emissions from all of its operations. It needs
to put in place bespoke adaptation measures.
Climate risk management needs to be built into
mainstream business strategy processes.
This will involve making managerial and
operational changes that respond to the
threats and opportunities presented by climate
change. This will require companies to allocate
responsibility for climate issues and conduct or
commission research on how weather events
will impact on the business. This review needs
to: focus on procurement of natural resources,
raw materials, supply chains and logistics;
examine any manufacturing processes, and look
at the way products and services are delivered
to market; assess any vulnerability inherent
in the design and construction of fixed assets
and how these can continue to operate and be
maintained in the face of extremes of climate.
Consideration needs to be given to the ability
of the workforce to be able to get to work
and larger companies need to be introducing
travel plans for staff. The risk to staff wellbeing and their ability to perform in extremes
of temperature, whether indoors or out in the
field, needs to be assessed. Inevitably consumer
demand is affected by extremes of climate
particularly in those sectors of the economy
dealing with food, clothing, gardening and
holidays.
The tourist industry needs to link into work
on sustainable transport and campaign for a
enhanced public transport network that links
with cycling and walking to radically reduce
the carbon emissions from the tourist industry.
This can perhaps be combined with existing
initiatives on green tourism and promoting
responsible travel behaviour in a valued
environment.
Further work needs to be done to make business
aware of the opportunities available to industry
and commerce arising from climate change and
to promote awareness and action on mitigation
and adaptation by industry and commerce.
Recent work by Quantum Strategy and
Technology suggests that there are opportunities
for safeguarding jobs and creating new jobs
as Government legislation on climate change
gathers pace. Nuclear generation and grid
upgrading are identified as the largest job
creating regeneration projects but scope exits
for smaller scale interventions with jobs creation
potential. These include biogass and biomass
and other types of microgeneration and their
respective supply chains. Scope also exists to
promote Cumbria as a green tourist destination,
reduce the carbon footprint of existing
accommodation and transport, and promoting
local produce. Opportunities also exist to
expand business advice, particularly to SMEs to
reduce their carbon emissions and develop the
capability to serve the growing wave and tidal
renewable energy sector. Other opportunities
arise for the construction industry to provide low
carbon, sustainable housing but this needs to be
driven locally by planners.
In Cumbria the business support agencies need
to sign up to the British Climate Change Charter
and encourage the business community to
reduce GHG emissions.
34
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 35
Industry and commerce
In Cumbria agriculture and associated land
management and uses, while economically a
relatively small part of the economy, has strong
links with tourism and local food and drink
production. Agriculture is vulnerable to climate
change which may apply further pressures on
an already fragile sector, with a consequential
impact on landscape and tourism. Opportunities
exist for renewable energy generation from
wind and slurry with scope to diversify into
tourism, local food production, and wood
fuel supply. Forestry has the potential to act
as a carbon sink to help offset the industry’s
contribution to GHG emissions. Currently the
industry removes slightly more carbon dioxide
emissions than it emits. Evidence suggests that
while emissions from the forestry industry are
gradually reducing, carbon removal rates by
forestry are broadly constant.
Reducing the risks
to biodiversity and
vital eco- systems services
36
Evidence is mounting that suggests that the
changing climate is already having an impact
on Britain's natural environment. These impacts
will become more pronounced as temperatures
rise and seasonal weather patterns change
to produce drier hotter summers and wetter
warmer winters punctuated with extreme
weather events. In general terms plants and
animals are sensitive to temperature change and
follow annual patterns that link with the seasons
illustrated by coming into leaf, flowering, nest
building, egg laying, migrating and shedding
leaves. Sensitivity to temperature change makes
biodiversity a good proxy indicator for climate
change.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 37
Natural environment
Natural environment
Peat bogs and other soils can be expected to
release carbon emissions previously removed
from the atmosphere due to increased drying
during summer and unfavourable vegetation
conditions caused by previous drainage. Some
biodiversity losses may occur due to increased
pressure on land use for agriculture and in
particular energy crops, or as agricultural land
is lost due to sea level rise, saline intrusion,
drought, development and other population
pressures. This biodiversity loss may be
accelerated as arable crop imports reduce due
to crops becoming unviable in parts of Europe,
North America and Africa and UK farmers
expand production to fill the gap.
Human beings benefit from processes or
structures within the natural environment that
give rise to a range of goods and services
called ‘ecosystem services’. The Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment grouped ecosystem
services into four broad categories (UNEP
2006):
•
Supporting services - such as nutrient
cycling, oxygen production and soil
formation. These underpin the provision
of the other ‘service’ categories.
• Provisioning services - such as food, fibre,
fuel and water.
38
• Regulating services - such as climate
regulation, water purification and flood
protection.
• Cultural services - such as education,
recreation, and aesthetic value.
The agricultural sector is the second largest
source of UK greenhouse gases accounting for
7% of Britain's emissions. Agricultural CO2 is
less of an issue contributing 1% of UK emissions
but nitrous oxide and methane are significant
contributing 66% and 46% respectively. Total
agricultural emissions have declined by about
16% over last 25 years due to changes in
agricultural practices, smaller herds and less
synthetic fertiliser use.
The Cumbrian dimension
Cumbria has a unique and highly valued natural
environment that delivers the major tourism
attractions in the county and offers opportunities
for a superior quality of life to it’s residents.
Cumbria’s natural environment is characterised
by the Solway Basin in the north with stretches
of sandy and pebble beaches backed by dunes
and raised beaches along the Irish Sea and the
inter-tidal mud flats of the Solway Firth. This
area is internationally important as a stopover
point for migrating waders and wildfowl. It is
flanked by undulating pastureland and raised
peat bogs. Cumbria contains 45% of England's
lowland raised bogs and 23% of blanket bog.
Mosses and other plants in peat bogs use
photosynthesis to extract and, due to the wet
and cold environments, lock up carbon from the
atmosphere as decomposition of the dead plants
is minimal.
The River Eden and its tributaries dissect the
Eden Valley with its by rolling mixed farmland,
neatly delineated by hedgerows and drystone
walls. Broadleaved woodland is common. On
either side of the valley foothills unimproved
grassland and moorland merge into the wilder
Cumbrian High Fells and North Pennines. The
central and northern Lake District mountains
consist of u-shaped valleys, steep sided
mountains, corries and tarns. The major lakes
are found here as are remnant montane mosses
and lichen heaths on the higher peaks and in
inaccessible ungrazed areas, diverse arcticalpine plant communities exist in North facing
quarries.
Woodland is common on lower slopes. The
rivers support populations of fish including
native crayfish and freshwater pearl mussel and
provide habitats for dippers and other birds.
The Orton Fells contain moorland with extensive
areas of limestone pavement, rock outcrops,
screes and calcareous grassland with few trees.
The Howgill Fells consist of ridges and valleys,
with steep scree slopes, occasional waterfalls
and crags, open moorland with rough grass
and bracken, few trees and few settlements all
of which gives a sense of wilderness. The South
Cumbria Low Fells consists mainly of undulating
pastureland, areas of woodland and managed
estates which give a parkland appearance.
Morecambe Bay is the largest area of inter-tidal
flats in the UK and is internationally important
as a stopover point for migrating waders and
wildfowl.
The Cumbrian coastline includes extensive
cliff areas at St. Bees which support important
populations of sea-birds and maritime cliff
plants. Elsewhere softer boulder clay cliffs,
sandy beaches and grassland dominate. The
coastline also includes two major estuaries, the
Duddon and Ravenglass both of which are of
international importance. The West Cumbria
Coastal Plain contains a mixture of mudflats,
shingle and pebble beaches interspaced with
smaller areas of dunes, sandy beaches and
sandstone cliffs. Inland there is undulating or
flat pasture with hedgerows and some tree
cover. Wetlands and herb rich meadows exist
along river valleys with semi natural ancient
woodland. Elsewhere there are extensive areas
of estuary with a range of inter-tidal habitats.
Cumbria is home to 103 protected and priority
species. It contains 30 European designated
Special Areas of Conservation, 278 Sites of
Special Scientific Interest covering 139,771
hectares, more than any other county in
England; 11,500 hectares of National Nature
Reserve and 425 Ha of Local Nature Reserve;
3 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 2
National Parks.
Likely impact of climate change
on the natural environment
Predicting the likely impact of climate change on
the natural environment is difficult given the range
of variables of temperature and weather and a
blurring of the seasons. Sea level rise, drought
and flood risk also need to be factored in.
Possible loss of biodiversity due to increased
pressure for land use for agriculture resulting
in habitats becoming more fragmented
with potential for isolation and extinction of
species. In Cumbria species which specialise
in living in colder areas high above the tree
line will have no where to retreat to and are
likely to disappear. Agricultural land below
the 5m contour is vulnerable to flooding
and salinisation. New species may move
into Cumbria from other parts of the UK.
Temperature rise will lengthen the growing
season for plants and may increase pest and
disease survival across the seasons with more
breeding cycles for pests. Research suggests
some trees are vulnerable to drought. Seasonal
disruption may lead to a loss of synchronisation
between the birth of new generations of birds,
insects and animals and their food sources.
There is significant potential for peatlands to
dry out and emit carbon rather than capture
and store it though this is less likely in Cumbria
provided there is increased winter rainfall.
Decreased river flows in summer and lower
oxygen levels will disrupt species movement
and will affect fish breeding. Increased winter
river flows will silt up gravel beds and destroy
spawning areas. In summer shallow water
bodies may dry up and only regain their water
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 39
Natural environment
Changes in temperature have been shown to
disrupt these patterns and may lead to: loss of
species from colder and wetter habitats at the
southern end of their distribution; changes in
species composition of plant communities; loss
of coastal habitats due to sea level rise through
coastal squeeze and extinction of species due
to inability to adapt. Areas may also gain new
species as those found in southern Britain move
northwards where habitats retain a viable
network between themselves with reduced
fragmentation. New species are likely to arrive
from the Continent. Some, not all, may be pests
or invasive species while others might bring
diseases.
Sea level rise and increased severity and
frequency of storm surges are likely to damage
sand dunes, sandy beaches, coastal vegetated
shingle, mudflats and saltmarsh, grazing marsh
and saline lagoons and their associated flora
and fauna. Marine species are sensitive to
temperature rise with research documenting
species adapting by moving northwards, north
easterly and to deeper waters. New marine
species are already arriving from southern
seas. Over-wintering birds are also shifting in
a north easterly direction. Cumbria's lakes will
experience disrupted stratification, become less
clear and may be at risk from invasive species.
The environmental economy already generates
£2.6bn GVA within the regional economy
every year, and employs 109,000 people,
much of this in Cumbria. A high quality natural
environment also provides opportunities for
a higher quality of life for people living and
working in Cumbria. Climate change could
easily change all this.
40
What is happening already in
Cumbria?
The Cumbrian landscape and the likely
changes it will experience from climate change
is at the forefront of practical understanding
nationally. The Flora of the Fells project has
recently produced ‘Mission Possible’ a very
good and accessible guide to the impacts of
climate change on the landscape and natural
environment of Cumbria. The Lake District
National Park’s project ‘Low Carbon Lake
District’ sets out some of the impacts and
proposes some actions on how we might evolve
our landscape to adapt to climate change.
Natural England’s Cumbria High Fells Climate
Change project is looking at the direct impacts
on the natural environment and how we might
adapt the landscape to be more resilient and
robust to the future changes.
The Natural Economy North West project is
proving how a well-managed natural economy
underpins the social, cultural and economic
prosperity of the region.
Cumbria has extensive peat bogs which lock
away carbon. Work has already started on
the complicated process of restoration and
re-wetting to prevent carbon loss, but more
money and resource is needed to achieve real
carbon reductions by 2015.
Cumbria’s rich natural environment means
that many organisations work on enhancing
the natural environment. While this is not
directly aimed at responding to climate change
the indirect effect of restoration work will be
habitats that are in better condition and are
more resilient to climate change. In addition
local authorities now have a duty to 'have
regard' to biodiversity when carrying out their
functions so that consideration of biodiversity
becomes a natural and integral part of policy
and decision-making.
What more needs to be done locally?
It is clear that climate change affects ecology and
also impacts on the physical environment but what
is less clear is the likely rate of change and scale
of impact associated with increased temperatures
and climate variability. This reinforces the need
for further research on the direct and indirect
impacts of climate change on Cumbria's natural
environment, it’s ecosystem services and how this
may effect the economy it supports.
River and coastal systems need to function
in a natural way to prevent and reduce the
frequency and severity of flooding. Other issues
that need to be considered are increased fire
risk and the opportunities to create new habitats
and use natural processes to protect material
assets. Consideration needs to be given to
preventing and dealing with greater amounts of
soil erosion that is likely to result from increased
rainfall intensity.
The Cumbria High Fells project makes a start
on this and will identify the relative vulnerability
of ecosystems, habitats and species to climate
change. The results of this assessment may well
be applicable to other upland areas and allow
appropriate land management strategies and
mitigation measures to be developed as part
of a wider adaptation programme. This type
of research needs to be carried out in other
character areas of Cumbria to determine a
county-wide adaptation programme which will
determine what mitigation may be delivered.
This should then help to inform local site specific
management responses based on increased
monitoring of sensitive habitats.
In the meantime a more flexible approach to
land use and land management is required
to connect protected areas and allow habitats
and species to migrate as temperatures rise.
Biodiversity enhancement needs to be factored
into land management and development sites.
The profile of climate change needs to be
raised within local biodiversity action plans.
Consideration needs to be given to increasing
tree and scrub cover primarily to lock up
carbon but also to create new habitats and
habitat corridors. When positioned in the right
place they can also deliver other benefits e.g.
reducing soil erosion and flood mitigation.
This will require advice to land owners and
their managers on soil erosion and flood
management options, grazing, and land use
change occasionally from agriculture to non
agriculture. A low carbon local agricultural
system which helps biodiversity and delivers
ecosystem services will be an essential part of
the solution.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 41
Natural environment
levels in winter. Higher winter rainfall is likely to
lead to more prolonged waterlogging of land.
Increased year round temperatures are likely to
disrupt waterfowl breeding and over-wintering.
Increased flooding is also likely to reduce
populations of soil invertebrates and fungi
leading to higher numbers of bacteria, reducing
decomposition rates. Woodland is vulnerable to
prolonged periods of drought, increased fire risk
and extreme weather events like gales. Overall
however most woodland plants and animals are
expected to survive because while there may be
some changes in the abundance of dominant
trees the woodland itself is likely to survive. The
new composition will be the outcome of climate
induced change and other factors: greater
drought sensitivity might disadvantage species
like birch, beech and sycamore, while the
higher shade tolerance of sycamore and beech
will give them an edge over oak and ash.
The National Procurement Strategy for Local
Government sets out a number of efficiency
targets designed to increase co-operation with
regional centres of excellence, introduce eprocurement and joint procurement with others,
develop local supply chains, provide guidance
on selling to the council and ensure that
sustainability, diversity and equality issues are
embedded into the procurement process.
National policy also identifies sustainable
production and consumption and climate
change as priority action areas. The
Government’s Sustainable Procurement Task
Force have defined Sustainable Procurement as:
42
“a process whereby organisations meet their
needs for goods, services, works and utilities in
a way that achieves value for money on a whole
life basis in terms of generating benefits not
only to the organisation, but also to society and
the economy, while minimising damage to the
environment.”
Sustainable procurement therefore means
looking at how goods are produced and
identifying and minimising the environmental
and social impact of products and materials
over their lifetime. It means making managers
and employees aware of the environmental
impacts of purchasing decisions and of the
need to manage supply contracts and supply
chains in a way that meets the needs of the
organisation, in terms of fitness for purpose
and cost, while protecting the environment by
improving resource efficiency, reducing waste
and pollution. The UK Sustainable Procurement
Strategy includes a framework (The Flexible
Framework) to facilitate this. The framework
provides a series of stepped actions that
organisations can aim for over a given timescale
beginning at a basic level (Level 1) and
progressing to more robust and wider reaching
actions at higher levels (Levels 4 and 5).
… safe, strong and inclusive
communities
health and
well-being throughout life
…
Reducing the
carbon content
Children and young people will see bright
prospects and diverse opportunities. They
will get the best possible start in life and be
empowered to get involved in their communities.
Young people have an important part to play in
Cumbria’s future and they will be provided with
excellent learning and training opportunities to
help them achieve.
We will live healthier lives and enjoy high
quality support whatever our health and social
care needs.
get involved and make a difference to the place
they live, confident that everything is being done
to further reduce crime, disorder and anti-social
behaviour.
to enjoy active, healthy and fulfilling lives.
We will value the contribution that people of
all ages make to the social, economic and
cultural diversity of the county. In particular we
recognise the contribution that older people
make to the community. We want to empower
Cumbria’s older population to influence and
shape their communities, live independently
and have maximum control over decisions
that affect them.
We are committed to involving people more in
decisions in their lives and their communities.
Health inequalities across the county will be
reduced by targeting neighbourhoods in
greatest need.
of the goods and
Our communities will be made safer, stronger
services
we buy
and more inclusive by helping more people to
Cumbria will be a great place for people
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 43
The vision
Procurement
Procurement
Tackling climate change through procurement
takes this process a step further and involves
calculating the carbon footprint of goods
and services purchased and consumed by
organisations. The carbon footprint is the
amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated
by the production and consumption of products
and services. Tackling climate change through
procurement means identifying and significantly
reducing the carbon emissions created in
making and delivering products to people
and organisations and also ensuring that the
procurement process, particularly supply chains,
can withstand the risks associated with climate
change. It also means discriminating against
energy hungry appliances and procuring the
most energy efficient equipment. A robust
sustainable procurement process will take
account of the need to combat climate change
through better purchasing decisions. Low carbon
procurement is very much an integral part of
sustainable procurement.
Best practice in sustainable procurement is
evolving quickly around these areas:
• Value for Money (VFM) is defined as
“the optimum combination of whole life cost
and quality that meets the users need”. This
approach is not related to lowest price.
44
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools that assess
the environmental impacts of a product,
process or service from initial design and
manufacture through purchase and use to
disposal. These impacts, good or bad, are
referred to as the "environmental footprint"
of a product or service. LCA involves the
collection and evaluation of quantitative
data on the inputs and outputs of material,
energy and waste flows associated with a
product over its entire life cycle so that the
environmental impacts can be determined.
A LCA based approach can be used to
determine the carbon content and global
warming potential of goods and services.
• Output specification – this approach gives
both purchaser and potential suppliers
scope to identify sustainable, low carbon
solutions. An organisation might be
looking for more vehicles whereas output
specification might instead look to procure
a ‘transport solution’. This opens up the
possibility of procuring a more sustainable
transport mode. Carefully worded output
specifications challenge organisations
to rethink procurement and source more
innovative and sustainable products and
services than the standard choices currently
offered by many suppliers.
• Risk assessment approach – this method
involves assessing which goods and services
carry the greatest potential risk or impact
on the environment. It allows a targeted
approach to be used to change products,
services or suppliers. Incorporating risk
assessments into procurement can help
identify and prioritise carbon reduction on
areas of greatest spend thereby enabling
carbon savings to be made quickly.
The Cumbrian dimension
The CSP has over 50 member organisations,
7 of which have some joint purchasing
arrangements for commodity goods and
services. Effective Procurement in Cumbria
(EPiC) is a direct response to national policy
and is led and hosted by the County Council.
EPiC members include 5 district councils and
the Lake District National Park. Current spend
is around £1.15m on paper, office furniture,
ICT consumables, water chillers and car hire.
An e-Procurement system has been set up to
enable business to be carried out electronically
and work continues on helping local businesses
become part of the council’s supply chain.
The concept of tackling climate change through
procurement by focusing on the carbon content
and energy flows embodied in goods and
services is less well developed. Cumbria’s
geography dictates that significant ‘product
miles’ are generated by importing goods and
sending products to external markets. Local
produce is becoming a significant option
for organisations wishing to reduce carbon
emissions.
Cumbria’s public sector buying power has the
potential to stimulate and help sustain the local
economy by encouraging local supply chains.
For larger organisations with high levels of
demand the challenge is to join lots of small
producers and businesses, which may be
unevenly distributed around the county, into a
steady and trusted supply chain for the wide
range of products that are required. Currently
the Centre for Regional Economic Development
is conducting research on public sector spending
and how it feeds into the Cumbrian economy.
Sustainable procurement is being developed
across Cumbria by EPiC using the Flexible
Framework. Cumbria is represented on the
North West Centre of Excellence (NWCE)
sustainable procurement programme. The
NWCE (currently evolving into the Regional
Improvement and Efficiency Partnership for the
North West) programme will develop a best
practice approach to sustainable procurement
across the region through a sustainable
procurement strategy and policy. Organisations
are expected to use the strategy to help develop
their own policies and approach to sustainable
procurement.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 45
Procurement
The Framework also includes consideration
of social and community impacts linked to
procurement, environmental impacts, equality
and social exclusion. Good practice therefore
requires an audit of both the positive and
negative impacts that purchasing goods and
services can have on people and communities,
both locally and globally.
What is happening already?
What more needs to be done locally?
This is difficult to assess. However it is clear
that distribution channels (road and rail) are
vulnerable to extreme weather events and
therefore ‘just in time’ supply arrangements
may have to be revised to make provision for
stockholding for some essential goods. Extreme
weather events can also affect supply of produce
and shortages can push up prices. Local supply
shortages may in turn increase supplies air
freighted in from abroad, thereby compounding
the issue. Agricultural produce is vulnerable to
changes in climate and the traditional livestock
and crop mix may well alter locally, affecting
food supplies.
In October 2007 a new two year contract to
supply all councils in Cumbria and the Lake
District National Park with electricity from
renewable sources was announced.
Many analysts think that oil supplies will ‘peak’
possibly within the next 15-20 years with
consequent price rises. Inevitably product prices
will increase sharply since the cost of energy
used in manufacture and supply is reflected
in product pricing. This reinforces the need
to reduce the carbon content of products and
services and to develop locally sourced supply
chains. A switch from grain production to
biofuels is pushing up the price of animal feed
and other staples like flour and bread. These
downsides also open up economic opportunities
locally for innovative products, livestock, crops,
bio-fuels, and other low carbon, low impact
products and services that do not rely on
excessive road and air freight.
EPiC members are working jointly to identify
and develop strategic procurement priorities
across Cumbria and on implementing the
National Sustainable Procurement Framework.
They are likely to follow guidance on this being
developed by the two northern regional Centres
of Excellence in procurement. This will result in
phased improvement involving the integration
of sustainability into staff training, policy and
contracts and will introduce a risk assessment
approach to working with suppliers and
assessing sustainability impacts of spend.
EPiC needs to gather pace and embed
sustainability into the procurement process.
In addition there is an urgent need to identify
the carbon content of the range of products
and services purchased by CSP organisations
including those purchased by EPiC member
organisations. National Indicator 185,
introduced in April 2008, challenges local
authorities to reduce carbon emissions from
their activities and reinforces the need for
procurement to contribute to carbon reduction.
Targets will need to be set to progressively
reduce the carbon content of products and
services purchased. These will reflect the lifecycle carbon emissions produced at each stage
of the supply chain from raw material sourcing
through manufacture to operation and disposal.
Areas of greatest spend and carbon emissions
should be targeted.
Schools are now free to source their own food
and while some are choosing local suppliers
many remain with corporate contracts which
are also able to source local produce. There is
noticeable growth in farm shops and farmers
markets and supermarkets are introducing a
limited range of local produce. Local research
is being carried out into alternative foods and
biofuels.
Changes to the EU procurement rules took
effect in 2006 and now allows environmental
criteria to be specified in contracts and the
environmental competence of suppliers to be
taken into account in procurement decisions.
Procurement
Likely impacts of a changing climate
on procurement
Scope exists for other CSP organisations to
join EPiC thereby increasing leverage when
negotiating contracts and when seeking
innovation to reduce carbon emissions. This will
provide an opportunity for the public sector to
influence the private sector to follow suit and
to encourage private sector suppliers to adopt
higher environmental standards including take
back and recycling of redundant goods and
packaging for recycling. More needs to be done
to reduce ‘product miles’ through a combination
of local procurement and using the combined
purchasing leverage of the EPiC to switch goods
to rail freight. More also needs to be done
on increasing the skills of staff in sustainable
procurement generally and specifically in
understanding how to reduce embodied carbon
and energy flows associated with procurement.
Beyond the CSP, public awareness of the carbon
content of goods and services needs to be
raised along with initiatives in the community
to promote the purchase of low carbon
alternatives. This will complement work by some
communities already on sourcing local produce.
46
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 47
Spatial planning provides the development
framework that shapes and links the places
where people live, work and spend their leisure
time. It is about ‘place-making’ that contributes
to society’s wider objectives on quality of life by
enhancing open spaces and the character of
the built environment, the countryside and the
wider natural environment, while supporting
the economy on which we all depend. The
Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan
(2003) seeks to create sustainable mixed use
development that achieves these broad aims.
48
In particular, spatial planning has a key role
to play in shaping society’s response to climate
change and encouraging the development
of low carbon communities. Local Authorities
are expected to respond to and contribute to
Government targets to reduce per capita CO2
emissions. Current planning policy aims to
reduce carbon emissions and stabilise climate
change through the planning and development
process. Reducing carbon emissions is therefore
a key priority for the planning system. This
policy direction needs to be fully reflected
in regional spatial strategies and by local
authorities when they prepare their Local
Development Frameworks.
Spatial planning
Spatial planning
shaping our
future ...
creating climate resilient
places and communities
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 49
The Cumbrian dimension
Cumbria is a largely rural county with its
main settlements located around the central
mountain core of the Lake District. This creates
challenges in moving people and goods
sustainably between rural settlements, into
urban areas and between urban areas. Subregional planning policy aims to use sustainable
development principles by siting the majority of
new development in the main urban areas and
key service centres, while trying to maintain the
viability and vitality of smaller settlements and
rural areas.
This policy approach requires innovative
thinking on the location of new housing to
enable access to jobs, education, health services
and other facilities using sustainable modes of
transport. It also requires appropriate levels of
development throughout Cumbria to maintain
essential services and provide affordable
housing.
50
One of the key challenges is to provide
sustainable transport connections within
Cumbria and to the rest of the country to
facilitate regeneration and improve quality
of life. Spatial planning has a role to play in
ensuring that new development is within easy
reach of key services. How to deliver these
quality of life goals in a way that reduces
carbon and energy flows, and allows society to
adapt to climate change is currently one of the
most significant challenges facing society.
In practice the planning system and building
regulations need to increase both the energy
efficiency and the proportion of renewable
energy in new development, converted and
renovated buildings. Planning policies at
national, regional and local levels should ensure
that more homes and buildings are constructed
using sustainable construction techniques, and
recycled materials. Local planning decisions
need to direct new development to areas of
lowest flood risk and to locations with good
access to existing public transport links linked to
good networks of footpaths and cycleways.
Likely impact of climate change on
spatial planning
The increased risk of rising temperatures and
extreme weather events and their impact on
society is beginning to shape planning policy.
These climate changes place new risks on
infrastructure, development and ecological
assets in vulnerable locations. Climate change is
therefore influencing policy change by guiding
development to new areas and reducing the
range of locational options.
Spatial planning needs to respond to climate
change by delivering sustainable patterns of
development that achieve high levels of energy
efficiency, provide decentralised and renewable
energy generation, and carbon emissions
reduction from development while ensuring that
future development and the wider environment
is resilient to the impacts of climate change.
What is happening already?
National policy is evolving and as a result
planning guidance now takes account of
climate change. National guidance exists
on how spatial strategies can enhance and
make biodiversity more resilient, encourage
the construction of sustainable buildings with
phased progression towards zero carbon
emissions from all types of new build. Other
planning guidance has been revised to take
account of the increased Government emphasis
upon climate change, for example on renewable
energy and flood risk.
The Home Energy Conservation Act introduced
targets to reduce carbon emissions and improve
domestic energy efficiency of the existing
housing stock by 30% by 2010. Part L of the
Buildings Regulations now contains higher
standards for energy efficiency and insulation.
The Code for Sustainable Homes introduced in
May 2008 sets stringent low carbon standards
for new homes that progressively move to
zero carbon emissions from new houses by
2016. These proposals also factor in electrical
appliances and renewable micro-generation in
addition to improvements in space and water
heating and lighting. Similar requirements on
energy efficiency in non-domestic development
are already included in the RSS. A consultation
paper on how to achieve significant carbon
reduction in commercial buildings is expected
from Government shortly. In the meantime the
Buildings Research Establishment has introduced
a ‘BREAM Energy star’ to encourage design
innovation to deliver zero carbon commercial
development by 2019.
Regional and Cumbrian spatial planning policy
is also changing rapidly. The recently adopted
Cumbria and Lake District Joint Structure Plan
2001-2016 has sustainability at the heart of
the plan and contains a sustainable vision
for Cumbria. It takes a tiered approach to
sustainable development by encouraging
new development to locate in the Key
Service Centres, with a smaller scale of new
development in locally defined Local Service
Centres. Any new development in the open
countryside is an exception. In addition, the
Joint Structure Plan (JSP) encourages sites to
be accessible by public transport, walking or
cycling, and requires new development to avoid
sites at risk of flooding.
The JSP encourages high standards of design
and promotes energy efficiency and water
efficient design and the use of recycled materials
and renewable energy technology. It requires
new development to avoid reductions in air
quality and in the quality of groundwater. It
ensures that new development makes efficient
use of, and is within, infrastructure, community
and service constraints, and minimises light
pollution and noise. This is further supported
by the emerging Cumbria Design Guide which
will seek more sustainable design of new
development and minimise car travel through
reduced parking standards.
The draft North West Regional Spatial Strategy
(RSS) will replace the Joint Structure plan. It
makes it clear that plans and strategies must
help reduce energy needs and improve energy
efficiency. Local authorities must develop policies
to require minimum energy efficiency standards,
promote the implementation of energy
conservation measures, and efficiency of design,
layout, location and use of materials and natural
resources in new buildings and refurbishment
schemes.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 51
Spatial planning
The national timetable for the phased reduction
of carbon associated with new housing
development follows three steps: 25% reduction
by 2010, 44% by 2013, culminating in
zero carbon by 2016. These standards are
included in the forthcoming regional spatial
strategy. Local development frameworks need
to reflect these. National policy makes it clear
that planning authorities are expected to help
to achieve this national timetable for carbon
emissions reduction from domestic and nondomestic buildings. This is reinforced in the new
regional spatial strategy. National guidance also
allows planning authorities to anticipate levels
of building sustainability in advance of those set
out nationally.
The RSS is expected to be published in
September 2008. 4NW, the Regional Leaders
Forum, is conducting a partial review of some
aspects of RSS policy. This is expected to
give further recognition to the constraints that
Cumbria’s landscape places on renewable
energy development and should take into
account the Wind Energy SPD prepared for
planning authorities in Cumbria. The SPD
identifies broad locations and appropriate scale
for wind energy development in Cumbria.
At local level, most of the existing Local
Plans contain policies relating to sustainable
development, and encourage energy efficient
design. More recently prepared Local Plans,
such as the Copeland Borough Local Plan
(2006) and the Deposit Carlisle Local Plan
(2006) contain sustainable development
principles that complement the recently adopted
JSP. These include specific policies encouraging
energy efficient design and renewable energy.
District councils and the Lake District National
Park Authority are currently producing new
Local Development Frameworks (LDFs), which
will replace their Local Plans. LDF preparation
is at varying stages. The emerging pattern
suggests that core strategies are likely to
contain draft policies on renewable energy
developments and onsite generation. Other
proposals and policies will aim to locate
development in areas with sustainable transport
choices.
52
A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment has been
commissioned by the Cumbrian Planning
Authorities to guide development to areas
least likely to flood. Where development is
unavoidably located in high risk areas, policies
will include the need for mitigation measures.
RSS policies also support the management of
surface water and to facilitate natural drainage
by requiring, sustainable drainage systems to
be incorporated in new development. The draft
Cumbria Minerals and Waste Development
Framework is emerging and contains both
mitigation and adaptation measures.
What more needs to be done locally?
National and regional planning guidance are
setting clear direction on a phased and rapid
carbon reduction from commercial and domestic
new build. Local planning policy within
Cumbria needs to respond through the provision
of robust planning policies on low carbon
energy generation, sustainable design and
construction, use of locally sourced materials,
sustainable transport and travel planning,
flood risk, habitat and species protection and
appropriate siting for new development that
minimises carbon emissions.
Specifically scope exists to issue design
guidance for developers to further reduce
emissions and ensure buildings remain
comfortable and safe for people in extremes
of weather. Design guidance can also ensure
adequate rainwater drainage and storage
capacity.
Scope also exists through the ongoing transition
from local development plans to the new Local
Development Frameworks to introduce policies
on parking, density and mixed use as well as
cycling and pedestrian links. The requirement
for travel plans for significant new developments
already exists. Robust policy and guidance
embedded in Core Strategies within LDFs will
inform development control on delivering low
carbon development. This may require further
training to ensure that higher standards being
written into policy are reflected in decisions
taken on planning applications, requirements
placed on the developer through planning
conditions and subsequent enforcement.
Coastal erosion is an issue in Cumbria that
will need to be addressed and risk assessments
made to determine where defences will be
maintained and identify areas of managed
retreat. This is turn will influence future
locational decisions. Current infrastructure
located in vulnerable areas needs to be
identified and adaptation measures agreed with
utilities to increase the resilience of essential
infrastructure. This also applies to critical
infrastructure in flood risk zones. In parts of
Cumbria opportunities may need to be found to
relocate development inland and make space
for new habitats to replace lost habitats.
Climate change may affect local and regional
demand for water and there will be a need
to give a higher level of protection to water
resources and give greater emphasis to water
efficiency, harvesting rainwater and recycling of
wastewater in new developments. Biodiversity
will also be affected by climate change and it
will be important to ensure that development
plan policies respond positively to protect
species and habitats at risk through long term
adaptation.
Planning therefore has a crucial role in
helping society reduce carbon emissions
and adapt to climate change and create
low carbon, sustainable communities that
are taking advantage of the regeneration
potential of environmental technologies. Simply
incorporating sustainability principles into
the policy framework will not achieve this.
Each authority requires a robust local policy
framework, backed by an up to date evidence
base, to take forward zero carbon development
within tight timescales and maximize the
potential of the natural and built environment
to adapt to climate change and generate
renewable energy.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 53
Spatial planning
The RSS also directs local authorities to develop
renewable energy generation capacity to meet
targets set in the North West Sustainable Energy
Strategy. The target requirement is for 10% by
2010 of predicted energy demand, (rising to
20% by 2020) in residential and non-residential
developments to be met by renewable energy
production. The RSS recognises that these
proposals must be sensitive to nationally
designated areas in Cumbria and it specifically
encourages small scale community and onsite
renewable energy projects.
Sustainable transport
investment ...
improving access,
moving goods and reducing
GHG emissions
54
Rapid efficient transport systems are seen as an
essential platform for economic regeneration.
Transport networks also underpin mobility and
enable people to access jobs, education and
other essential and optional services.
However CO2 is the main greenhouse gas by
volume and a principal cause of climate change.
In 2005 UK road traffic produced 120 million
tonnes of CO2 (22% of all UK CO2 emissions).
Catalytic converters have also increased nitrous
oxide (NOx) emissions. NOx is nearly 300
times more powerful than CO2 and is the third
largest contributing gas to global warming.
Road transport produced 13% of all UK NOx
emissions in 2005.
UK air transport emissions increased by 7%
from 2004 to 2005. In 1990 domestic air travel,
international passenger departures from the UK
and air freight produced 4.6 million tonnes of
carbon (Mtc). By 2000 this had increased to
10.5 Mtc and is forecast to increase to between
15.7 and 29.1 Mtc by 2050. Injecting CO2 into
the atmosphere increases the destructive power
of aircraft carbon emissions by a factor of 2.5.
This suggests that aircraft carbon emissions
will rise to between 47.1 Mtc and 87.3 Mtc
equivalent by 2050. This does not sit well with
the Government’s policy aim of a 60% reduction
in carbon emissions from all sources by 2050.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 55
Transport
Transport
Cumbria’s geographic location in the UK and
Europe, its sparse population, its topography,
protected landscapes and the dispersed
peripheral location of towns and settlements
means that innovative sustainable transport
solutions are required to persuade residents and
visitors to use motor cars less frequently.
Cumbria is distant from regional, national and
European markets. This isolation is greater in
the west of the County and this perception of
poor access inhibits inward investment. Road
and rail connections to M6 motorway and the
West Coast Mainline from Furness and West
Cumbria remain inadequate. Air travel to and
from Cumbria is being promoted to overcome
this at a time when the impacts of air travel
on climate change are coming under closer
scrutiny. Improved access is also required to the
County’s seaports to exploit the facilities they
offer for alternative freight transport, particularly
unitised cargos and to attract cruise liners.
The population of Cumbria is comparatively low
but conversely the per capita carbon footprint
of residents is relatively high. Cumbrians are
each responsible for 2.97 tonnes of carbon
dioxide emissions annually from road transport
compared to a national average of 1.9 tonnes
per person per annum. Geography dictates
longer journeys, a high proportion of which are
by car as bus services outside the larger urban
areas generally require a subsidy to maintain
the service. As a result rural bus services are
limited. Local rail services are only able to serve
a limited proportion of the population, largely
around the periphery of the county. This lack
of public transport combined with Cumbria’s
rurality and high fuel costs is causing social
hardship. Car ownership and usage are high,
being the preferred and most practical option
to access work, essential services and make
leisure trips. Factor in tourism visits by car and
all of this increases Cumbria’s carbon footprint.
Increased world demand for petroleum is
contributing to higher fuel costs. Coupled with
relatively large distances from customers and
suppliers, the competitiveness and viability of
many local businesses reliant on road transport
is significantly reduced.
56
Likely impacts of a changing climate
on local transport
Cumbria’s coastal road and rail networks
are vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm
surges with consequent erosion and flooding.
The increase in intensity and frequency of
extreme weather events is likely to require
greater budgetary provision to maintain
transport infrastructure in a safe condition.
Rising temperatures may require road sanding/
salting to stop road surfaces from melting with
consequent increased run off and pollution of
water resources and damage to wildlife. Both
road and rail transport could be interrupted
by landslide and landslip caused by increased
rainfall.
As travel for holidays abroad increases in cost,
UK destinations could become more popular if
people decide to holiday closer to home. The
capacity of the local transport infrastructure is
inadequate to cope with this growth in visits.
Rising temperatures and drier summers are
forecast to attract more foreign visitors who
will choose to holiday here to escape punitive
summer temperatures abroad. CO2 emissions
will continue to increase if tourists cannot arrive
easily by train or coach and move around by
public transport or under their own steam.
Without significant change, congestion and
localised pollution is likely to increase, with
potentially negative impacts on the tourism
industry.
What is happening already?
The current Local Transport Plan (LTP) 2006/12
focuses on developing transport infrastructure
to support the local economy and improve
accessibility to jobs, education and other
services. Maintaining the existing road network,
reducing the need to travel, helping people
arrive safely and reducing the environmental
impact of travel are all fundamental elements of
the strategy.
Key measures include local highway
improvements to support regeneration in
Carlisle, Barrow and West Cumbria. As well
as highway infrastructure improvements there
are a number of programmes within the
county that aim to improve physical access
and facilities for passengers at railway stations
and develop new cycle routes and new public
transport interchanges in West Cumbria. Other
programmes will introduce mobility plans for
town centres to improve access on foot, by
wheelchair or scooter, deploy more low floor
buses and extend demand responsive transport
schemes like Rural Wheels and City Wheels.
Accessibility planning is being taken forward
with partners to improve access to jobs,
education, shops and services by locating these
services within or close to areas of population
to minimise the need for journeys by car and
increase public transport use.
The LTP’s approach to climate change is to
reduce the need to travel by car and encourage
people to use public transport, cycling and
walking as alternatives. Accessibility planning
reinforces this.
What more needs to be done locally?
Efficient sustainable transport is needed to
improve access to jobs, education, goods and
services, to facilitate economic regeneration,
improve public health and safety, tackle climate
change and improve the urban environment
and public realm. Enabling personal mobility
and the movement of goods within Cumbria in
a way that reduces vehicle movements is central
to tackling climate change and meeting social
and economic aspirations. The comparatively
high costs of public transport makes it difficult to
encourage drivers to reduce car use.
Some sustainable transport options like electric
trams and bus rapid transit systems are better
suited to large metropolitan areas and are
therefore unlikely to be developed in Cumbria
due to investment costs and relatively low
population densities. There are however a
number of sustainable transport options that are
practical and deliverable in Cumbria.
More needs to be done to improve footpaths
and segregate cycleways from other traffic, to
provide better information on routes as part
of a wider campaign to change attitudes and
travel behaviour and to reduce reliance on cars
through accessibility planning. More also needs
to be done to increase the numbers of active
workplace and school travel plans coupled with
incentives/disincentives to encourage people to
switch from car use to other, more sustainable
forms of transport. Scope exists to promote
internet based ‘liftshare’ schemes by large
employers and the Local Transport Authority.
More needs to be done to expand the public
transport network and make the passenger
experience more attractive combined with a
policy shift to influence decisions on how trips
are made. Other sustainable transport options
suited to Cumbria include public transport smart
cards, home and tele-working, home shopping
deliveries, car-clubs and encouraging greater
use of existing public transport services through
better information provision and reliability.
‘Routes to a Prosperous Cumbria’ sets out
Cumbria’s future transport investment needs and
identifies a number of priority objectives. These
include improved road and rail links between
the West Coast and the M6 and West Coast
Main Line; obtaining national investment to
upgrade and secure the future of the Cumbrian
Coast Rail Line; enhanced rail passenger
services along the West Coast Main Line; and
improved access to Cumbria with improved links
from Cumbria to the North-East and the South.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 57
Transport
The Cumbrian dimension
58
The development of Carlisle Airport and
investment in air travel in Cumbria has political
support and is regarded as essential for the
long term growth of the County’s economy. The
science is however clear. Increased air travel
means increased carbon emissions. The need
to reduce carbon dioxide emissions across
Cumbria, initially by 210,000 tonnes each year,
suggests that the increased emissions from the
airport should be offset by further reducing
carbon emissions from other parts of the
Cumbrian transport network.
If the airport development goes ahead it will
need to do so in a way that minimises carbon
emissions. This means access by public transport
and both airlines and the airport itself operating
on a low carbon basis, utilising sustainable
design and construction, fuel efficient engines
and lower carbon fuels.
Investment is required for the Cumbrian
Coastline, Tyne Valley and the Carlisle to
Settle rail lines to improve rolling stock, reduce
journey times, improve stations and run more
trains. Investment is also required to improve
capacity between Windermere and Kendal.
More needs to be done within the Lake
District to bring about a shift from car use for
access and movement within the Park and to
encourage cycling and walking. The National
Park Authority has commissioned a Sustainable
Transport Strategy that will focus on transport
problems and innovative solutions. The outcomes
are unlikely to be implemented in the near future
but when they are, the Local Transport Plan will
provide the policy context within which this can
take place.
Existing national cycle routes link many
Cumbrian towns and are suitable for everyday
trips. Work is being carried out to improve cycle
routes in towns providing better connection with
the countryside. In addition to this, mobility
plans are being developed in key service centres
with walking routes to improve local access
to jobs, goods and services. Improvements
to existing rights of way and new links to
form linear and circular routes along with
new strategic cycle routes have considerable
potential to improve sustainable movement and
contribute to the tourist economy. The long term
aim should be to encourage 40% of local trips
by foot or by bicycle with a further 40% by a
combination of public transport and walking.
This would allow 20% of local journeys to be
made by car reflecting the absence of public
transport services outside the main towns.
Parking strategies will play an important role
in reducing car dependence for travel into
urban areas. Parking provision linked to high
quality bus services offer (particularly in Carlisle
and Kendal) a useful approach for outlying
settlements, commuting, long stay tourism
movement and week-end shopping. Increasing
the supply of long stay town and city centre
car parking may well serve to undermine other
improvements to bus services, the local economy
and local environmental quality. However
scope exists to use surplus income from parking
charges and parking fines to fund public
transport services.
Other options include the use of new fuel
efficient and gas powered vehicles by the public
and private sectors and the introduction of car
sharing clubs for rural settlements without public
transport.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 59
Transport
Other priority objectives for transport investment
involve improving land access to ports for freight
and better public transport options for visiting
tourists disembarking for short stays from cruise
liners; securing sufficient funds to maintain the
existing highway network; reducing congestion
in urban and tourist areas and greater use
of public transport, walking and cycling. Two
particular priorities namely the Bridge across
Morecambe Bay and associated major road
construction and the proposed expansion of
Carlisle Airport remain controversial because
they will generate greenhouse gas emissions
although it is recognised that the Bridge design
will incorporate some form of tidal energy.
Working together ...
investing resources ...
changing culture ...
reducing carbon
60
Around 272 million tonnes of waste is produced
in Britain each year. Household waste represents
9% of the total, commercial and industrial waste
24%, construction and demolition waste 32%,
mining and quarry waste 30%, agriculture 1%
and other waste 6%. Waste can contribute to
climate change. Household waste, in particular,
contains organic matter which breaks down
readily to release carbon dioxide (when air is
present) and methane (when air is excluded,
usually by water) from landfill sites. As a
greenhouse gas, methane is around 23 times
more powerful than carbon dioxide. Landfill
gas methane represents about 3% of all UK
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Waste policy focuses largely on household
waste though new initiatives are beginning
to focus on priority waste streams that have
potential to reduce GHG emissions. All waste
streams are responsible for flows of carbon and
GHGs into the atmosphere either from direct
releases, as waste is processed, from landfill or
from fuel and energy used as waste is processed
or transported. Research indicates that there is
significant potential to reduce GHG emissions
and energy use by a combination of resource
and energy recovery. Energy from waste is
thought to have the potential to meet around
2% of the UK’s energy demand and along with
resource recovery can save GHG emissions
being generated elsewhere in the economy.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 61
Waste
Waste
In Cumbria the dispersed location of settlements
means that collecting and transporting waste for
both recycling and disposal to landfill generates
excessive transport GHG emissions. At current
disposal rates, Cumbria’s remaining landfill sites
are expected to reach capacity within 20 years.
These are located in the West and North of
Cumbria. Waste from South Cumbria is sent by
road to landfill in Lancashire generating more
GHG emissions. The amount of waste generated
in Cumbria reflects the year round influx of
some 15m visitors.
Household waste represented 86% of the
345,697 tonnes of municipal waste collected
in 2006/07. Overall 35% of household waste
was recycled and composted during 2006/07
although significant disparities still exist between
districts. The Cumbria Resource Partnership has
reported a reduction in waste arisings from
635kg per person in 2005/6 down to 593kg
in 2006/7. It predicts that this will fall to 530kg
in 2007/08. With recycling and composting
rates now around 40%, the Partnership has set
a target of recycling 50% of household waste
by 2011. This would exceed national targets. A
municipal waste reduction target of 1% has also
been set for 2008/9 and 2009/10.
In 2004/05 541,944 tonnes of commercial
and industrial waste was generated of which
54% was landfilled. A further 315,876 tonnes
of inert construction and demolition waste was
recorded in Cumbria in 2004/05 of which 72%
was landfilled. 24,811 tonnes of hazardous
waste was dealt with in 2004/05 of which 15%
went to landfill. Up to date commercial and
industrial waste figures are difficult to obtain
and are based on periodic surveys.
Likely impact of climate change
on waste?
Technically waste storage is not vulnerable to
extreme weather events or rising temperatures
other than possible flooding of old landfill sites.
Floodwater might displace and exclude air
and therefore increase methane production.
Collection services may be more vulnerable.
Other possible impacts might include changes in
agricultural wastes as new crops are introduced
and an added emphasis on prompt collection
and treatment of household kitchen and food
industry wastes as temperatures increase. The
relationship is really an inverse one. It is the
way that waste is produced and managed that
affects climate change.
What is happening already?
Resource Cumbria is the local public sector
partnership driving forward municipal waste
reduction and recycling. The Partnership runs
a number of initiatives to: increase home and
community composting rates and reduce food
waste; reduce household waste and expand
kerbside recycling; involve the public in a range
of practical projects to reduce waste; improve
the network of recycling facilities around the
county and expand the range of materials that
can be recycled; run a marketing campaign
and a series of events to engage and inform
the public coupled with a sustained education
programme. In addition the feasibility of a
resource recovery park is being examined.
Considerable effort has gone into the selection
of a preferred private sector partner to help
provide and operate waste management
facilities that will divert waste from landfill, meet
waste reduction and recycling targets and avoid
financial penalties associated with landfill.
Except for Thackwood where 80% of material is
recycled, all active landfill sites in Cumbria have
landfill gas utilization schemes. The Environment
Agency is investigating opportunities to tap
methane emissions from Cumbria’s older landfill
sites.
62
Cumbria’s Waste Prevention Action Plan 20072012 and the Minerals and Waste Development
Framework (MWDF) 2007-2018 are both being
developed to meet and reflect the objectives of
the Government’s National Waste Strategy. Both
plans by focusing on minimisation, recovery and
recycling will help remove carbon and energy
flows across all waste sectors.
The Waste Prevention Strategy has set a
number of targets to reduce waste generated
in Cumbrian households by 5% (35kg/person)
by 2012; divert 5 -10% of materials from waste
streams to re-use by 2012; and to recycle and
compost 50% of household waste by 2011.
The Strategy sets out how these targets will be
achieved and makes an explicit commitment to
supporting community based recycling.
In addition, under the Landfill Allowance Trading
Scheme, the amount of biodegradable waste
that can be sent to landfill is set at 110,331
tonnes by 2010, reducing progressively to
73,488 tonnes by 2013 and 35,282 tonnes by
2020. The growth in municipal waste is to be
contained and reversed by 1% per annum over
the 3 years to 2010.
The emerging MWDF is responding to
national and regional policy on climate
change by including local policies to
reduce GHG emissions and to encourage
adaptation measures to deal with unavoidable
consequences. These relate to landfill gas
collection and electricity generation; on site
provision for biodegradable waste diversion
from landfill and the recovery of value from
waste including construction and demolition
wastes; the protection and regeneration of peat
bogs; and woodland planting to trap carbon
as part of reclamation schemes. Other policies
being developed will promote energy recovery
from waste; require a proportion of renewable
energy generation in new waste developments;
and encourage increased energy efficiency
in all operations including transport thereby
reducing ‘waste miles’.
Few targets have emerged other than the
national waste strategy targets to halve
construction and demolition waste from
227,741 tonnes (2004 baseline) by 2012 and
to reduce industrial and commercial waste
by 20% from the 2004 baseline. Additional
regional targets exist to recycle 35% of
commercial and industrial waste and to recover
value from 70% of commercial and industrial
waste by 2020.
The Environment Agency has developed a life
cycle analysis tool called Waste and Resources
Assessment Tool for the Environment (WRATE)
which provides options for municipal waste
management.
What more needs to be done locally?
The Resource Cumbria Partnership has clear
plans for improving waste collection, treatment
and management that will reduce GHG
emissions from municipal waste. The Partnership
is already setting its own ‘stretch’ targets that
exceed national ambitions and go beyond
those agreed at regional level. Extending its
existing communication and public engagement
programme will be necessary to increase
public commitment and participation in waste
minimisation.
Demolition and construction wastes are
responding to market forces. The escalating
cost of landfill is leading to greater recovery
and recycling of these wastes. In addition
Government is considering a target of halving
amount of construction waste sent to landfill by
2012. This will require the provision of new
waste management and recovery sites which is
already being reflected in the range of policies
contained in the draft MWDF.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 63
Waste
The Cumbrian dimension
A total of 23,681 tonnes of commercial waste
was collected by local authorities in Cumbria in
2006/7 (thereby falling ‘within its control’) and
sent to landfill. Diverting a higher proportion of
commercial waste from landfill would require
local authorities to intervene and would require
new commercial waste collection services being
introduced where they had previously been
withdrawn. Such a move would also require
investment and expansion of existing services
to compete with the private sector and deliver
sustainable solutions.
Currently a multi-processing ‘eco-deco’ waste
plant is being planned by the waste disposal
authority which will have capacity to take
approximately 30,000 tonnes of commercial
waste, effectively diverting it from landfill.
However demand for recycling services
continues to rise from the many small Cumbrian
companies and businesses that currently pay
for their waste to be taken to landfill. Demand
will further increase as the tax for landfilling
commercial waste is scheduled to rise by £8
a tonne per annum from April 2008. Market
forces are likely to drive the provision of more
recycling services, but ‘pump priming’ and
facilitating links between the small and medium
sized businesses and recycling companies
demands attention.
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The eco-deco plant is also being planned
to accept all residual ‘black bag’ household
waste, including food waste. This means that
a separate collection of food waste from
households will be unnecessary.
The amount of waste generated by tourists
needs to be tackled. Currently this is either
treated as household waste (in the case of small
B&Bs) or commercial waste. A report carried out
by ENTEC in 2008 estimated that approximately
22,000 tonnes of waste was being generated
as a result of tourism in Cumbria in 2006/7.
This issue will require support for innovative
partnership work, promotion, education and the
provision of recycling facilities across a range
of tourist facilities – including hotels, campsites,
visitor centres and other tourism hubs. A strong,
clear and positive message needs to be given
to tourists that valued environments need to be
valued by visitors, not just residents.
Waste processing provides an enormous
opportunity for economic regeneration and
job opportunities, whilst positive initiatives
on commercial waste reduction can make
our businesses more competitive by lowering
overheads. Advice for businesses through
organisations like Cumbria Business Environment
Network should be enhanced and supported
by new commercial waste recycling initiatives.
Efforts to reduce the harmful emissions produced
by the transportation of waste need to be
supported through the establishment of more
locally based reuse and recycling schemes.
Community based recycling schemes provide
additional sources of employment as well as
recovery and recycling services and scope exists
to expand this sector.
Waste
Commercial waste represents about 11% of all
wastes. Currently it is collected and managed
in various ways. Essentially commercial waste is
left to market forces and the market determines
the proportion recovered, recycled and sent
to landfill. The private sector provides some
recycling services, mostly to large producers of
waste, while the bulk of commercial waste goes
to landfill. To date, only one local collection
authority in Cumbria offloads commercial waste
services to the private sector to gain headroom
with LATS allowances. Others still collect
commercial waste.
All CSP member organisations will need to lead
by example in tackling waste internally (through
policy and in the reuse/reallocation of office
furniture, for example) and by communicating
both internally and externally the measures that
have been taken and the reductions achieved.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 65
Ensuring
sufficient water
for
people, industry and
the natural environment
66
Climate change is driving changes in the
water cycle. The latest modelling indicates the
likelihood of wetter winters and drier summers
accompanied by higher temperatures all year
round. More storms and extreme weather
events are also expected and these are likely
to become more frequent and dangerous. In
addition, sea level rise is expected as a result of
increased temperatures, thermal expansion of
the oceans and melting of polar ice.
More flooding from rivers and the sea is
predicted. The risk of flash flooding from intense
localised rainfall will increase, even in summer.
This type of flash flooding is less predictable
than river or coastal flooding and can take
communities by surprise, posing a threat to
life as well as property. The impacts of flash
flooding can be varied and long lasting, in
particular the effect it can have on people’s
mental health.
Demand for water in our homes, gardens,
green spaces and for agricultural use is likely
to increase as temperatures rise. Reservoir
and aquifer recharge rates will become less
predictable and more frequent periods of
drought can be expected. Managing and
meeting demand during prolonged periods
of drought will become more challenging and
may involve restricting supply to consumers.
A warmer, drier summer climate may increase
tourist numbers which will further exacerbate the
effects of drought.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 67
Water
Water
Prolonged low river levels will increase pollution
since the volume of water to dilute and disperse
effluent discharges is not there. If this coincides
with high temperatures the stress on wildlife will
be further increased.
The Cumbrian dimension
Increased frequency of flooding from rivers
and the sea will threaten many communities
in Cumbria. Many Cumbrian rivers are
classed as ‘flashy’ since they respond quickly
to high amounts of rainfall. This reduces the
time available to give flood warnings and
increases the risk to communities from flooding.
Quantifying this increased risk is difficult and
requires the Environment Agency to build in
contingency capacity into new flood defence
schemes to take account of climate change
scenarios.
In Cumbria climate change scenarios suggest
that summer rainfall will reduce by as much as
15% in Cumbria by 2020s. Winter rainfall is
expected to increase by an equal amount over
the same period and accelerate towards a 30%
increase as the century progresses. Snowfall in
Cumbria is predicted to decrease by 10% by
2020s falling by a further 35%, possibly 55%
from current levels by 2050s.
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Cumbria supplies drinking water to North West
England from nationally protected, important
and sensitive habitats, including Ullswater,
Windermere, Haweswater and Thirlmere
reservoirs. Conflict may arise between the need
to maintain water in the environment to sustain
species and habitats and the need to meet
demand for drinking water.
Likely impacts of a changing climate
on water
In Cumbria many rural communities and
individual households and farms depend on
springs and/or boreholes for drinking water
supplies. The security and quality of these
supplies will be put under pressure by climate
change and may pose increased risks to health.
Arctic relic fish species of Vendace, Arctic Charr
and Shelly may perish as water temperatures
rise. The tendency for warmer drier summers to
dry out and accelerate the release of CO2 from
peatlands may not happen in Cumbria because
of higher winter precipitation.
In Europe, over the last century, river and lake
temperatures have risen between 1° and 3°C.
Rising water temperatures are likely to lead to
reduced oxygen levels, changes to ecosystems
and the distribution of aquatic species with
probable extinctions. Increased levels of bacteria
and pathogens can be expected and these will
require higher levels of treatment of drinking
water sources. Climate change is likely to reduce
mixing within lakes and reinforce thermal
stratification and contribute to the earlier
appearance of algal blooms.
Freshwater and wetlands systems in Cumbria
will be vulnerable to climate change but the
precise outcomes are difficult to predict. River
flows may increase in winter and spring
increasing the risk of flooding, erosion and
clogging of gravel spawning sites. Water
temperature rise will follow atmospheric
temperature rise but will be lower. Evaporation
will occur but at lower rates than in southern
areas of the country. Discolouration of lakes is
likely. Historically combined sewer overflows
have been prone to flooding during intense
episodes of rainfall leading to foul flooding
of property but considerable investment has
reduced the risk.
Lower flow rates and lower water levels and
droughts will affect agriculture, forestry,
wetlands and hydro-electric electricity
generation and may also interrupt electricity
generation by reducing the availability of
water for cooling towers. Research suggests a
20% increase in agricultural irrigation across
England by 2020 with household demand for
water up by between 2% to 5% over next 20-30
years. Recreational water use is also likely to
increase with golf courses and swimming pools
increasing demand. Freshwater fisheries will
be affected with coarse fish expected to fare
better than salmon and trout. Lower water flows
mean less dilution and dispersion of pollutants
affecting drinking water quality and recreational
activities linked to water. Saline intrusion into
coastal aquifers is likely to increase with sea
level rise.
Cumbria has the potential to provide more
energy from hydropower. Applications for
schemes may require permission from the
Environment Agency and also planning
permission. Reaching decisions on this type
of application will involve balancing the
environmental benefits from renewable energy
against possible environmental impacts on
ecological or flood risk interests.
Rising temperatures, reduced snowfall and
changes to precipitation will affect water
quality and quantity requiring utility companies
to incorporate climate change into forward
planning and investment programmes.
What is happening already?
The Environment Agency is producing catchment
flood risk management plans. These put flood
risk into context and allow everyone to plan for
the implications. The percentage of Cumbria
covered by catchment flood risk management
plans will rise from 20% in 2007/08 to 90%
by 2009/10. National planning guidance
(Planning Policy Statement 25) seeks to direct
development away from areas where the risk
from flooding is high to areas at lower risk,
where the risk can be managed. Local Planning
Authorities are producing Strategic Flood
Risk Assessments which they will use to guide
development in their areas.
The Environment Agency is directing its flood
defence programme to areas where the risk is
highest and is also increasing the number of
households registered with the Agency’s flood
warning service from 4800 in 2006/07 to
6000 by 2009/10.
Drought and water resource planning is carried
out in the North West, including Cumbria, by
the Environment Agency and United Utilities,
the water supply company. This includes water
from Cumbria that is used to supply other areas
of the region. Water companies are required
to prepare, consult and publish 25 year water
resource management plans. These are reviewed
yearly. All water companies had to submit their
draft plans to Government by March 2008. The
plans are expected to respond to climate change
scenarios and ensure adequate water supply is
maintained.
On a local level the Environment Agency has
prepared Catchment Abstraction Management
Plans (CAMs) for all catchments in Cumbria.
These plans look at the current level of water
abstraction and whether this is sustainable in
the long run, bearing in mind the needs of
wildlife and other water users. Some catchments
still have water available whereas others have
reached the point where no further abstraction
will be permitted.
Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 69
Water
Reduced river flows and higher temperatures
will affect wildlife in wetlands, rivers and lakes.
Less water in the environment may also affect
recreational users. Treating drinking water
to safe standards may become more difficult
as increased rainfall over short periods can
increase bacteria numbers in surface water
while increased water temperature can increase
algal blooms in reservoirs and lakes. Both
effects decrease the efficiency of chemical
removal of microbes from drinking water.
The risk of flooding can be reduced by ensuring
adequate flood defences are in place and by
ensuring that future development is directed
away from areas at risk from flooding and is
not located in areas that would increase flood
risk to others. Urban development needs to
incorporate sustainable drainage systems to
help prevent flooding. Additional mechanisms
also need to be in place to minimise the impact
of floods by ensuring that adequate flood
warnings are given in time and that effective
emergency plans kick in to help people when
they are flooded.
Current approaches to managing water
resources need to factor in climate change.
The key aim remains that of providing society
and the economy with adequate water supplies
without increasing the vulnerability of freshwater
resources and wetlands.
Rivers need to be reconnected to their flood
plains so that they act as natural flood defences.
This means ensuring rivers have adequate
natural flood plains and may mean allocating
land within the development plan for water
storage to alleviate flooding. It also means
managing the whole catchment to ensure rainfall
is held within the catchment rather than being
encouraged to run off into the river as rapidly
as possible.
Effective planning for droughts needs to be
carried out so that action can readily be
taken to minimise the impact on people and
the environment. Part of this process will
involve campaigns to minimise water use by
households. This leaves more water in the
environment for wildlife and people to enjoy.
New development should incorporate water
saving devices with retro-fitting of existing
housing stock carried out wherever possible.
Commercial and industrial users should be
encouraged to adopt water saving measures.
The water company will need to look carefully
at water supply and demand scenarios and
plan accordingly. In addition treatment facilities
may need to be upgraded to deal with potential
changes in raw water quality.
Water
What more needs to be done locally?
There will also need to be a cultural shift
towards placing a higher value on water so that
people use less of it. Society generally needs
to realise that water is a precious commodity
and accept that supply cannot be endlessly
increased to meet demand. The aim must be to
minimise waste in the distribution network and
to minimise consumption and wastage at the
point of use.
The Environment Agency supports greater
uptake of household water metering and is
promoting this as a long term aim. Pumping
water around the distribution network uses
large amounts of energy mainly derived from
fossil fuels. Reducing water use not only retains
more water in the natural environment but also
reduces carbon emissions.
Pumping sewage to treatment works also uses
large amounts of energy. It therefore makes
sense to keep clean rain run-off out of the sewer
network by using separate systems. Rainfall
run-off needs to be managed so that it drains
slowly into watercourses and does not increase
flood risk. This can be achieved by designing
sustainable urban drainage systems into new
development and encouraging other measures
in existing development like water butts and
green roofs.
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Cumbria Climate Change Strategy 71