Climate Changeand Local Government: Opportunities and Challenges Navraj Singh Ghaleigh Senior Lecturer in Climate Law Edinburgh University

Take Away Messages 1)LG has huge mitigation role, esp building, waste and transport (c.40% of total), and leadership 2)Local context determines opportunities for action 3)Local authorities to develop their own plans of action 4)To ensure adequacy of 3), national government should support LG (i.e. co-finance mitigation policies) and impose compulsory duty to develop PoA and implement them

Benefits of LG Action 1)Raises profile of LG as leaders on climate change 2)Cost savings 3)Infrastructure improvement 4)Showcase their activities 5)Learn from peers 6)Access ‘excellence’ and know-how 7)Multiple co-benefits

The Climate Problem Massive global carbon reductions required (i.e. 80% reductions by 2050) If not, strong likelihood of: Temperature rises 5C Sea level rises > 80cm Impacts of fresh water, agricultural patterns, rainfall, airborne diseases, animal migration etc Major resource conflicts (“You can’t separate environmental policy from economic policy or energy policy”: Chuck Hagel)

Role of Local Government Most CC attention focused on ‘top down’/UNFCCC policy ‘Bottom Up’?: Local and regional authorities deliver most government policy: c.70% of EU policy delivered by LG 60% of mitigation 90% of adaptation measures

International Programmes C40 Cities - The Climate Group - States and Regions program WRI Protocol on Community Level GHG Inventories ICLEI - UNFCCC’s new NAZCA programme (Non-state Actor Zone for Climate Action)

UK Policy – Climate Change Act Large emission reductions required by law: 34% by % by 2025 c.80% by 2050 (baseline: 1990 levels)

Role of Local Government: Context UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

Scope for Local Government UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

Focus for Local Government UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

Role of Local Government: Action 3 mains areas of action: 1)Retrofit/renovate public buildings and infrastructure to make better use of water, power, heat etc 2)Leadership function via own investments and initiatives 3)Contract on the basis of green procurement principles, i.e. stipulate performance standards Multiplier effect and Advantage of Data

e.g.1: Energy Efficiency in Housing UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

e.g.2: District Heating UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

e.g.3: Transport Behaviour UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

e.g.4: Waste UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

e.g.5: Power UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

Local Context Important UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

‘Co-Benefits’ UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

LG Operations UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

Adaptation UK Climate Change Committee (2012)

EU Covenant of Mayors (2008) 6000 mayors from across Europe (representing 190m citizens), voluntarily committed to: Reduce emissions >20% by 2020 Via action of EE and RES Signatories submitted a plan of action after 12 months, reported on PoA every 2 yrs By plans adopted

Sources: 1)UK Climate Change Committee, Report on Local Authorities 2)UK Local Govt 3) OECD, “Climate Change Policy in the UK”, ECO/WKP(2011)000 4)OECD, “Cities and Climate 5)Lockwood M, “The Political Sustainability of Climate Policy: The Case of the UK Climate Change Act” (2013) 23 Global Environmental Change 1339