As a new authority, Westmorland and Furness has made climate change a key priority from the outset. Its ambition is to provide leadership on climate change, for sustainable and inclusive growth, and work together with communities on the biggest challenge of our generation.
Summary
Westmorland and Furness Council’s holistic approach to tackling climate change and achieving net zero means working across boundaries and in collaboration with everyone who lives, works and enjoys this beautiful area.
As a new authority, Westmorland and Furness has made climate change a key priority from the outset. Its ambition is to provide leadership on climate change, for sustainable and inclusive growth, and work together with communities on the biggest challenge of our generation.
The challenge
Local authorities are responsible for 2-5 per cent of local emissions but potentially influence around a third of an area’s emissions through place-shaping and leadership.
Westmorland and Furness Council is a new unitary authority that wants to be at the forefront of tackling the climate emergency. It provides leadership working to ensure the council is carbon net zero as soon as possible, and the area it serves by 2037.
As a new authority – vesting day was 1 April 2023 – we want to open conversations across the council and our communities about working together to address climate change.
This will ensure we maximise the co-benefits of acting on climate change, such as the health and wellbeing opportunities of low carbon towns, the jobs and skills created through the green sector and helping communities be more resilient to environmental shocks such as flooding or rising fuel costs.
The solution
Our first step in engaging our residents and communities was to produce Part I of our Climate Action Plan setting out our direction.
Working collaboratively with partners, our ambition is to develop, deliver and support meaningful initiatives and projects in key areas including the environment, natural capital, sustainability, decarbonisation and biodiversity net gain.
After engagement, Part II will follow with a road map to net zero.
Our 2037 vision will focus actions in six categories, identifying that a holistic approach is needed to tackle climate change and achieve net zero: The six categories are - the ways we live, work, travel, produce energy, protect nature and use things.
The impact
A snapshot of examples includes:
- The way we live: We have secured funding for two grant schemes to retrofit houses. We are hoping to spend £24 million over the next two years retrofitting approximately 1,600 properties, not only helping reduce carbon emissions but supporting low-income households hit by high fuel costs.
- The way we work: The council is a carbon literate organisation ensuring climate awareness is embedded in the authority’s culture. We will be making this training available for all our workforce. We have also held two citizens’ juries on climate change. The panels met over several months and called on experts to build their knowledge about the issues and solutions. They then put forward their recommendations which will help inform our plans. We are looking at how to enable greater collaboration with our residents when tackling climate change.
- The way we travel: To encourage active travel we have established a programme to identify, develop and secure funding to deliver high-quality infrastructure improvements. This has seen the development to date of three Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans to develop the network for the next 15 years.
- The way we produce energy: Investing in renewable energy will go some way to helping reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. The construction of a new 2MW solar farm site in Barrow is an example of using our assets in an innovative way.
- The way we enhance and protect nature: Cumbria Coastal Community Forest will see thousands of trees planted over five years, creating connected community woodlands down the western coast including into the south of Westmorland and Furness. We are also leading a Cumbria-wide Local Nature Recovery Strategy to deliver healthy ecosystems on land and sea, supporting a sustainable local economy valued for its natural assets.
- The way we use things: Reduce, reuse and recycle are three concepts that promote sustainable living. Encouraging the adoption of the 3Rs means that less waste will end up in refuse.
How is the new approach being sustained?
The council’s Cabinet has approved for this year £5 million of priority investments with a green thread, demonstrating the commitment to climate change and biodiversity.
This includes a £500,000 Climate and Environment Partnership Fund to support local initiatives to tackle climate change, support nature recovery and ensure a fair transition to a low carbon future for our communities.
£1 million has been committed to local sustainable transport schemes to encourage more people to cycle, walk and wheel (an equivalent alternative to foot/pedestrian-based mobility, including everything from wheeled mobilities such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters or e-scooters to prams and buggies).
£440,000 will support biodiversity and nature regeneration, helping to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.
Lessons learned
As a new council, we have the opportunity to embed climate change across all of our strategies and policies.
By delivering the plan in two stages we can adopt that holistic approach to tackling climate change and achieving net zero by working across boundaries and in collaboration with everyone who lives, works and enjoys Westmorland and Furness.
Part I enables us to set out our direction and what we can put in place in the here and now while also encouraging all our stakeholders to contribute and make their own recommendations and commitments. This engagement will help shape and inform Part II and allows us time to consider in detail how that ambition can be delivered effectively with the input of stakeholders.
We will be hosting climate conversations across our area to enable residents to understand and contribute to climate change being a priority.
As the council’s role is far wider than our direct emissions, we will ensure that we use our strong influence through place-shaping and working with partners and communities to help everyone take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Further information
Contact: [email protected]
Read more about Westmorland and Furness Council’s Climate Action Plan