Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Local Level

Order Description
Action on climate change often requires an integrated approach across a number of policy areas. However, this is difficult since the responsibility for different policy areas falls to different departments or bodies. The actions identified in policy are then the responsibility of a large number of different stakeholders.
There are many examples of climate change strategies in the UK and the rest of the world. Some examples are referenced in the lessons, while many can be found by searching online. In addition to these resources, it is important to search academic literature as this will provide the basis for decisions taken when developing an integrated strategy.
For this assignment you will take on the role of a local authority officer responsible for the production of your council’s mitigation climate change strategy (use the same local area where you calculated the baseline greenhouse gas inventory for Assignment A). The report to the council should mention the results of its baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory, suggest three possible future emissions scenarios for your local area (up to 2050), three emission reduction targets, and discuss the possible actions that would be needed to meet the reduction targets in the scenarios.
One reduction target should be the Government target of 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, a second should include a suitable target set for a Local Authority in the short term (e.g. 2020), and the third can be chosen to reflect possible local ability to achieve reductions in the medium term (e.g. 2030). The targets should be justified in the report and the ability to meet them discussed.
Learning outcomes
Successful completion of the coursework will demonstrate:
• Familiarity with different local and regional climate change strategies both in the UK and the rest of the world.
• Ability to critically assess different cities’ approaches to climate change mitigation strategies
• Understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of an integrated approach to climate change policy action.
In addition to this, you should be able to:
• Discuss the need for multi-stakeholder involvement
• Prepare a suitably detailed report proposing an integrated strategy for a local authority to adopt
Notes and guidance
The report must consist of the following: 1. Executive summary
Integrated Environmental Strategies 2015-16 Module Assignment B 2
© 2016 De Montfort University
•
• •
Prepare a one-page executive summary of the entire report that covers the need to take action on greenhouse gas emissions, the possible targets for reductions and the key actions that could be taken.
The summary should be concise and should not be more than one page long, including diagrams etc.
The summary should be aimed at key decision makers across the relevant stakeholders.
2. The Inventory and Scenarios
• Include a brief summary from the analysis of the GHG emissions data for your baseline year.
• Identify three possible future scenarios for your local area up to 2050. On the basis of the assumptions in the scenarios, produce forecasts for future energy use and emissions. The forecasts for future energy use across sectors should inform the choice of the three emissions reduction targets and should be supported by the current literature on possible future emissions scenarios, for example the IPCC scenarios, DECC’s 2050 Carbon Pathways or the CCC study.
Examples of future emissions scenarios are:
? Business as usual, where energy demand continues to rise steadily.
? Technical Fix, where similar demands for electricity are assumed as in the business as usual scenario. However, reduction in energy use can be achieved due to technical fixes (i.e. using established technologies with payback periods of five years or less).
? Green, which shows that very substantial reductions in energy consumption can be made. The demand for energy is lower due to increased use of renewables and/or behaviour change. As a result CO2 emissions are reduced.
The ‘Technical Fix’ or the ‘Green’ scenarios should achieve at least the 2050 reduction target.
When preparing the technical report, you will need to include:
• Description of the three possible future emissions scenarios and the reduction targets associated with each scenario. For each of the scenarios you should give a full explanation of the reasoning behind
the choice and the assumptions you have made about future energy demands.
• A summary of the projects and measures that could be implemented in order to meet the identified targets in the scenarios. If possible, include a quantitative measure in terms of percentages of CO2 savings or tonnes of CO2 reduced by the projects.
• Discuss the ability of the partnership approach to deliver the reduction targets. Draw up a table identifying the role of key stakeholders in delivering the reduction targets.
The main text in your assignment, excluding references and excluding annexes, must consist of 20 pages or less (including the executive summary), and be submitted in a PDF format. You may append graphs, tables and annexes.
In a cover sheet or at the top of the first page include your name, the name of the module and the title of the assignment.
Preference should be given for academic references, but it is recognised that there are not many of these in the relatively new field of climate change strategies.
If you have not yet completed the Research Methods module, please use the following guidance with regard to referencing. When referring to material within the text of the report, reference the author and year of publication.
All material used in the preparation of the report should then be listed in the references section. Please use the Harvard system of referencing. For each type of material there is a slightly different way to present the reference. For example, journals and books are referenced as follows.
Integrated Environmental Strategies 2015-16 Module Assignment B 3
© 2016 De Montfort University
Journal:
Bunn, R. 1993. Changing gear. Building Services, 38 (1), 6-18.
Author surname, initials year. Article title. Journal title, volume (issue), page numbers.
Book:
Personal author:
Chadderton, D.V. 2000. Building Services Engineering. London: E. & F. Spon.
Author, surname, initials year. Book title. Place of publication: Publisher.
Editor, compiler: rd Chadderton, D.V. (eds) 2000. Building Services Engineering. 3 ed. London: E. & F. Spon.
Author Surname, initials year. Book title. Place of publication: Publisher. For more information on referencing, check the University library study skills pack on information citation (which includes guidance on referencing electronic sources) which can be found in Extra Materials.