Yorkshire & the Humber Climate Action Plan

The Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission yesterday published its Climate Action Plan.

The Plan begins with a Statement of Support from the Yorkshire Leaders Board co-chairs, Councillors Carl Les (North Yorkshire) and Stephen Houghton (Barnsley MBC). There is a Foreword by Liz Barber, CEO of Yorkshire Water.

Tipping Points and Runaway Climate Change

The reason why a Climate Action Plan is needed is explained.

'Global average surface temperatures are now 1.1C higher than pre-industrial levels. If we hit 1.5C we could trigger natural feedback loops that will lead to more and more warming. After this point, we are into the realm of dangerous or runaway climate change.'
Executive Summary, p8 of the Climate Action Plan

We are already 'perilously close' to the dangerous tipping point of 1.5C (p54).

A Framework for Change

The Framework for Change sets out just that - the necessary structures and ways of thinking that are needed in order to meet the climate challenge. The action points here include:

• acknowledge the climate and ecological emergency
• focus on action - real-world delivery
• put climate and nature at the heart of decision-making - including strategic, policy, planning and investment decisions. 'To do this we need to change the structures and cultures of decision-making...'
• influence national government. 'There is a lot we can do within the region under current policies, and we shouldn't wait for all of the ideal policies to be in place before we get to work. However, there will be instances where we need national policy change to make further progress.'

Inactivity

The Plan points out (p40) that residents of the Yorkshire & Humber region do less exercise than the national average.

'The region also has greater inequalities than the national average, with residents less likely to eat healthily, exercise sufficiently, and live in adequate housing.'
Climate Resiliance, p40 of the Climate Action Plan

Providing housing areas with active travel infrastructure is one of the best ways of increasing physical activity.

Transport Emissions

The Plan says (p55) that the region's direct emissions have fallen by 44% since 2000. (Indirect emissions are those related to our consumption, that have effectively been outsourced to other countries).

It says that the fall is due to decarbonised electricity supply, structural change in the economy, and more efficient buildings, vehicles and businesses.

The claim that emissions reductions are partly due to more efficient vehicles contradicts information from the DfT. The DfT's Transport Decarbonisation Plan states (p14) that any gains from hybrid and electric vehicles have been wiped out by the increasing ownership of SUVs.

Transport is 31% of Emissions

The plan shows that transport is the biggest single source of emissions in the region, at 31%.

Steps towards Net Zero

The plan sets out a number of steps or actions towards net zero.

The primary emphasis is on reducing demand for energy (Action 30, p63).

Transport

The transport actions focus on public transport and active travel.

'We also need to significantly increase rates of walking and cycling across the region and to promote "20-minute neighbourhoods" where people can live, play and work locally, thereby minimising the need to travel longer distances. Linked to this, we need to reduce the need for private cars wherever possible, while being sensitive to the challenges of rural areas and the needs of key workers.'
Net zero and transport, p67 of the Climate Action Plan

These principles are reiterated in the actions.

Action 39: 'Enable active travel through support for 20-minute neighbourhoods in cities and towns and especially through the widespread delivery of ambitious, joined up plans for walking and cycling and the wider provision of charging points for electric bikes and scooters.'

Action 40: 'Minimise the need for private car ownership, while recognising the needs of rural communities, by making best use of digital technologies for home working and virtual meetings and car/lift sharing, promoting compact, mixed use and transit-oriented development and by promoting behaviour change such as switching to active or public transport...'

A Chasm Between the Words and Actions

The Climate Action Plan contains lots of good ideas and sentiments on active travel. North Yorkshire Council Leader Carl Les has put his name to a Statement in support of the plan.

The practice in North Yorkshire is wholly detached from the principles in the Plan.

It's right to acknowledge that Harrogate Station Gateway is a very good project, driven by the West Yorkshire Combined Authorities.

On the other hand, all the recent and planned new developments in Harrogate are on the outskirts of town, with no useful cycle infrastructure whatever.

Worse, on future planned developments on Otley Road beyond Harlow Carr, like Windmill Farm, North Yorkshire County Council refuse to commit to extending the Otley Road cycleway to link them up.

Do the words in the Climate Action Plan mean anything in North Yorkshire, or is it all flannel and hypocrisy?