Denham calls for new era in local government to meet climate change challenge

Strong leadership, clear vision and ambition from councils could deliver reductions in carbon emissions of millions of tonnes annually and potentially unlock £1 billion in income for councils, Communities Secretary John Denham said today.

Local authorities are already at the forefront in taking the decisions and actions that will help the nation meet our climate change targets - from waste plans through to transport policies.

In a speech at the Local Action on Climate Change Summit, Mr Denham outlined his vision for radically enhancing the role of councils with greater autonomy and powers to drive low carbon living - changing the expectations of what local government is and what it does for people.

John Denham said: "The challenge of tackling climate change presents local authorities with an opportunity to take centre stage and lead the way in not only finding solutions for their own local area and delivering for their local residents but in helping the nation meet its commitments to driving down carbon emissions.

"Councils already play a crucial part in making the shift to a low carbon economy but there is capacity for them to go further than their current responsibilities. Getting this right will require local government to think differently, be ambitious and embrace innovation.

"In return central government will need to provide support, make sure unnecessary barriers to action are swept away, and be ready to give local authorities which are ready to go further and faster, and have a plan for doing so, the tools to do the job.”

The Communities Secretary used today’s summit, hosted by the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, to set out how Government can support others to take the lead, challenge those authorities currently lagging behind and point to what the scale of green ambitions might achieve.

This included:

• Suggesting that zero carbon homes policy could lead to an investment pot of nearly a billion pounds being available by 2020 from allowable solutions. Local authorities with robust, well founded plans, supported by the local community, will be well placed to shape how those monies could be invested in local renewable energy schemes.
• Giving notice that the Government expects local authorities to be fully engaged in the new cap and trade scheme being introduced in April. Under the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) the most efficient authorities that use the initiative to save electricity will reduce emissions, save money, and reap rewards which they will be able to invest back into local services.
• Working with local authorities on new ways to deliver ambitious carbon reductions to help to deliver the Government's Low Carbon Transition Plan, support the creation of green jobs and enable authorities to drive innovation. This will involve developing ideas like local carbon budgets as a framework which could result in a reduction of millions of tonnes of carbon annually.
• Supporting local authorities to work in greater partnership with energy suppliers in the delivery of and investment in energy efficiency measures and renewable energy provision.
• Strengthening the local authority role on planning for climate change and a clear expectation that this will be put into practice. CLG will be publishing new planning policies on climate change and renewable energy shortly.
• Developing a £10m programme of support including to help local authorities build capacity to take forward the ideas the Communities Secretary is setting out and to test pilot approaches, building on the programmes delivered by bodies like the Energy Savings Trust; and including an extra £5m for the Homes and Communities Agency to develop exemplar green housing schemes.
• Encouraging local authorities to use the power of the public pound to support green industry. Together, councils spend in the region of £42 billion a year. Collectively local authorities own around 50,000 vehicles – if all councils started to buy greener vehicles, to really explore the possibilities for electric cars, it would start to shape the national market, giving business greater certainty and ability to invest in more innovative technologies.

Places like Manchester are already taking full advantage of the leadership role they have. Last year they conducted analysis of the costs of ignoring the threat of climate change and put this at £21 billion over the next 12 years.

The city has committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 1 million tonnes per annum by 2020 - that's a 41% reduction from 2005 levels. City wide, residents and business and other organisations will need to adopt and implement the principles of a low carbon economy- making this happen will require the local authority to fulfil its proper role as community leader.

John Denham said: "Real progress on tackling climate change in this country will only be made if we can harness the potential and vision that lies in local government.

"Whilst the possible outcomes could be revolutionary the steps to get there are not that radical - the model exists in the past and in some areas it is happening now.

"By combining the technology of today with the principles of the past councils are - like those before them- securing energy for local residents, generating income for the local area and driving down carbon emissions.

"Local Government is best placed to look right across all policies from housing to transport and waste and think strategically about how green, global agenda can be delivered locally. In doing so the very role of local government could be transformed.”

Manchester is leading the way but there are several councils who are ahead of the game. Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, operates a waste to energy plant, Birmingham’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants supply council buildings and private businesses with a local energy supply not linked to the national grid, and Southampton has been operating a similar system for the last 20 years.

John Denham wants to work with those authorities already engaged in this agenda and encourage them to go further but also raise the bar for all authorities and help them recognise the potential and maximise the advantages that are available.

A commitment to driving down carbon emissions underpins work right across the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Earlier this week Housing Minister John Healey announced the introduction of tough new green standards for all homes by 2016 and pledged an extra £3.2 million to boost long-term research into how we design and build energy efficient homes.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy said: “It may come as a surprise to John Denham but he is preaching to the converted.

“Liberal Democrat councils are already leading the way in tackling climate change with Newcastle and Bristol heading last week’s Forum for the Future annual league table of sustainable cities.

“With four more cities in the top ten, Liberal Democrat-run councils are showing what can be done when determined action is taken at a local level right across the country.

“Local government has a better track record than central government, not only on climate change but also on efficiency savings.

“John Denham should put his money where is mouth is – instead of simply praising local councils, he should give them greater powers and access to resources as well.”