Path plotted for zero carbon Liverpool

Key decisions for the city council have been set out in a report by consultancy Eunomia, to be considered at cabinet level this week.

Sustainability-focused research consultancy Eunomia has now completed its stage one work, and the company’s report will be considered by cabinet members who will be asked to sign off on the next phase. A finalised Liverpool Net Zero Carbon proposal will go before cabinet later this year.

Papers prepared for cabinet describe how “the present Government’s strategies have, in the opinion of this council, been woefully inadequate in rising to the scale of the climate change challenge,” outlining its own recent actions in the field and reiterating its intention to be zero carbon by 2030.

Eunomia’s report focuses on five key areas, highlighting key decisions to be take by the council in each: transport & air quality; buildings; waste & resources; energy supply & green infrastructure; a d low carbon economy.

In transport, the key decision to take is in how much emphasis to place in encouraging modal shift, versus vehicle electrification. Eunomia suggests the expense and scale of the latter makes modal shift more likely to pay off, and indeed lessen the pressure on growing an EV network. Reports highlighting residents’ desire for more public transport investment and safer cycling are cited.

For buildings, which account for 60% of Liverpool’s emissions, a “rapid and complete change from gas central heating” is the main concern, with district heating networks, electrification and hydrogen solutions proposed. Eunomia feels that electrification will have to bear the brunt, but that a fully detailed, costed plan must be advanced to determine the split.

Also recommended is a public engagement programme to shift awareness of heating technologies, the development of a funding programme to ease transition, and support for a extensive training and apprenticeship programme in the area.

Projects advancing in this sphere include Peel L&P’s Great Howard Stret energy centre, submitted for planning in November as part of the Mersey Heat network.

The report notes the advancement of the Liverpool city region’s low carbon economy, reporting that more than £5bn has been invested in cleantech in the area since 2012, with 140-plus local companies now operating in the offshore energy supply chain.

Eunomia records that 9,000 utilities jobs and 4,500 engineering/technical consulting jobs have been created. Although the predicted increase in residential -linked jobs has not yet materialised, this is ascribed to “the failure of the anticipated Government Green Deal” to make an impact thus far.

Register to attend Place North West‘s Decarbonising the North West event and hear more about this subject on 4 March.