Local authorities (LAs) have a duty to develop and implement low-carbon plans, says a report by the government’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC). ‘How local authorities can reduce emissions and manage climate risks’ was commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and warns that ‘[national] emissions reductions without local action will be insufficient’.

LAs have significant control over some of the main carbon emitting sectors, including waste, transport and buildings, and should do more to help the UK meet its carbon budgets targets, the report contends.

Currently, councils are not required to implement measures to reduce carbon emissions unless they use over 6,000 MWh of electricity per year, in which case they must pay a charge for each tonne they emit under the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). LAs with less electricity consumption are not under obligation to reduce targets, and with limited funding available, are not disposed to do so. However, the CCC argues that lack of action at LA level could jeopardise national carbon budgets and suggests that the government should do more to strengthen incentives.

Committee member Professor Julia King said: “The research we’ve done shows local authorities have the potential to significantly impact on the UK’s scale and speed of emissions reductions… We are therefore asking both local and national government to address these issues. Local authorities need to show leadership and recognise their wider role in supporting local emissions reductions. The government needs to strengthen incentives for action by providing national funding where required and should consider introducing a statutory duty for area-wide, low-carbon plans.“

The report identifies areas where LAs could reduce carbon emissions, including:

• Reducing emissions in the authorities’s estates and operations
• Promoting sustainable travel
• Developing recycling programmes
• Supporting renewable energy projects
• Implementing energy efficient programmes, which could have the added bonus of reducing energy bills and improving health.

Three main areas that the report suggests LAs should focus on for cutting carbon emissions are: buildings, surface transport, and waste, as these three currently account for 40 per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The report also suggests that if these measures are adopted, emissions could be reduced by 20 per cent by 2020 (relative to 2010 levels) and could significantly contribute to reducing the national carbon budgets.

The UK is committed under the Climate Change Act to an 80 per cent emissions reduction by 2050 from 1990 levels, and has legislated five-year carbon budgets covering the period to 2027 to reach this target.

‘How local authorities can reduce emissions and manage climate risks’ is available to read at the CCC website.