Richmond Council declared a climate emergency in June 2019, recognising that the global emergency is a threat everywhere, including in our borough. Subsequently, the Council developed a strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in its own buildings and operations by 2030 and committed to making the whole borough net zero for carbon by 2050 – the target set for London and the UK by the Mayor and the UK Government. This update summarises a recent progress report submitted to the Council’s Environment Committee.
Only around 2% of carbon emissions in the borough come from Council buildings and operations. Even so these emissions were reduced by 54% between 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, mainly due to energy efficiency measures introduced in council buildings and to reductions in CO2 emissions associated with council electricity use. The national grid helped this by producing more electricity from low-carbon sources such as wind and solar energy. This reduction shows what can be done in a relatively short period. However, the borough as a whole faces a formidable challenge to reduce its total emissions to net zero by 2050.
The latest data from UK Government sources (https://naei.beis.gov.uk/laco2app/) for Richmond upon Thames shows that 612.8 kt of CO2 were emitted in 2019, equivalent to 3.1 tons per resident! 49% came from the domestic sector, 31% from transport and the rest from industry. Three quarters of the domestic emissions are from gas used for heating and cooking, and almost all the transport emissions come from vehicles driving on our roads. This shows that it will be critical to improve energy efficiency in our homes and to drastically reduce use of carbon-fuelled vehicles
on our roads.
In line with these data, the Council’s strategy recognises that it needs to inform residents about the causes of climate change and what they can do to reduce their carbon emissions. A new Local Plan has been drafted to guide borough development over the next 15 years. Its central concept is of 20-minute neighbourhoods where most facilities needed by residents are within easy walking or cycling distance. This is still under consultation. Richmond has continued installing electric vehicle charge points. There are currently about 464 in the borough, and funding has been obtained for a further 130 lamp column charge points in 2022. Plans will be developed in 2022 to restrict delivery vehicles in the borough’s high streets to create consolidation hubs. All council vehicles will be zero emission by 2030.
The Council supported energy-efficiency improvements for residents with energy inefficient homes and low incomes under the Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme. A further £1,155 million funding has been secured to improve around another 100 properties in the borough in future phases. Richmond has also promoted ‘Solar Together’ – a scheme allowing residents to access cheaper deals to instal solar panels. Richmond had the highest sign-up of all London Boroughs, with 249 residents taking advantage of the scheme.
For the vast majority of residents, it will be largely up to us to improve the energy efficiency of our homes with added insulation and by replacing our gas boilers with heat pumps when the time comes for renewal. Similarly, it will be down to individuals to decide to decrease their carbon footprint by reducing car use and walking, cycling, or using other means of sustainable transport. Reaching net zero carbon goals will be achievable only by such personal decisions, and the Council has held several events to educate residents about climate change and encourage such decisions. These included Richmond Climate Week in November 2021. Over 20 sessions were delivered online and in person, focusing on reducing carbon footprints at home. Around 1,050 people took part in the Climate Week. The Council has also worked with young people on climate change, providing £10,000 funding to the Youth Council to commission climate-related projects by youth groups.
The Progress Report covers other important issues relating to climate change such as waste, plastics and the circular economy; water management and flood abatement; green infrastructure and biodiversity. These are not discussed here but can be accessed here
It is noteworthy that in a recent analysis of all local authority climate action plans by Climate Emergency UK, Richmond was ranked 11th overall in the UK and the 3rd best in London, but residents must also play their part if carbon reduction goals are to be achieved.