Energy & Planning and Climate Change The burning of fossil fuels, industrial processes, agriculture and other land uses all contribute to raising the concentration of man made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere beyond the natural levels which many Scientists believe is leading to an excessive warming of the planet.

Key issues

As set out in the Planning Policy Statement:  Planning and Climate Change – Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1, the Government believes that climate change is the greatest long term challenge facing the world today and, therefore, addressing it is the Government’s principle concern for sustainable development.  Policies and priorities for action, both in the UK and internationally are set out in the Climate Change Programme and the 2007 Energy White paper. 

The UK has also established legally binding emission targets in the UK Climate Change Act 2008 which sets out a legal framework for carbon emission reductions with a 20% cut by 2020 and an 80% cut by 2050.  Much of these carbon emission reductions will need to be met through a significant reduction in the consumption of finite energy resources including coal, gas and oil which have been the mainstay of our developed society since the Industrial Revolution.  In order to shift to a low carbon economy, it is therefore vital that those finite energy resources are consumed in the most efficient way possible with a shift towards greater utilisation of renewable energy technologies to take their place.

The Planning White Paper:  Planning for a Sustainable Future (2007) recognises that planning has a key role to play in helping to tackle climate change, inter alia, through direct influence on energy use and emissions; delivering the Government’s ambition of zero carbon new dwellings by 2016; and creating an attractive environment for innovation and for the private sector to bring forward investment, including in renewable and low carbon technologies.

Key Planning Objectives

Key planning objectives as set out by the Government include, inter alia:  Making a full contribution to delivering the Government’s climate change programme and energy policies; providing for homes, jobs, services and infrastructure needed by communities and securing energy efficiency and a reduction in emissions; and delivering patterns of urban growth and sustainable rural developments that help secure the fullest possible use of sustainable transport for the moving of freight, public transport, cycling and walking, to reduce the need to travel.

Planning Policy Statement 22:  Renewable Energy (PPS22) refers to a range of different renewable energy technologies that can be utilised in the built environment including Bio-mass, Energy from waste, Hydroelectric, Solar Photovoltaic (PV), Solar Hot Water heating and Wind.  PPS22 states that local planning authorities should specifically encourage such schemes through positively expressed policies in local development documents.  Utilisation of these technologies can help ensure a shift to a low carbon economy thereby also ensuring a greater degree of energy security for the UK in an increasingly volatile global market.  This is recognised in the UK Renewable Energy Strategy 2009 that acknowledges that we need a dramatic change in renewable energy use in electricity, heat and transport. 

The Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) sets out the path for the UK to meet its legally binding target (as a result of signing up to the EU Renewable Energy Directive) to ensure that 15% of our energy comes from renewable sources by 2020:  A seven fold increase in the share of renewables in 2008 levels. 

The RES will help the UK to tackle climate change, reducing CO2 emissions by over 750 million tonnes by 2030 and will also promote the security of our energy supply reducing our overall fossil fuel demand by around 10% and gas imports by 20 – 30% against what they would have been in 2020.  The RES and the Government’s UK Low Carbon Transmission Plan published in parallel with it aims to build the UK low carbon ecomomy, promote energy security and take action against climate change.

News

Press Release issued by the Association of Environmentally Conscious Building (AECB) on 23 April 2010: Renewable energy proposals will encourage more emissions

Concern over wind farm approvals

Reports

Energy Revolution: A sustainable world energy outlook (3rd edn) This sets out a blueprint for cutting carbon emissions while achieving economic growth by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and energy efficiency. 

Rural Areas Blown Over? by Richard Garland, Climate Change Champion

Climate change mitigation and adaptation in national parks (from the English National Park Authorities Association)

Food for thought...

AECB - The Sustainable Building Association. Extracts from the September 2010 Newsletter

Useful links

Energy Saving Trust

Uk Climate Impacts Programme

Met Office

Carbon Trust

Local Energy. Local Energy is a social enterprise established by the LGiU. All surpluses directly subsidise the LGiU's charitable work. They exist to ensure that public sector organisations manage the risks associated with new legislation on carbon trading and make their full contribution to reducing per capita carbon emissions. They help with data management, compliance, financial strategies and providing market intelligence. The Local Energy team has run three successful carbon trading schemes for councils, hospitals and universities and they have already helped over 100 public sector organisations to prepare for the transition to a low carbon UK.

CLIMATE CHANGE CHAMPION

This page was written for the Network by Chris Tivey BSc (Hons) BPl MRTPI, Principal Consultant, Chris Tivey Associates. Chris has worked variously on Sustainable Design and Construction (SDC), has produced Supplementary Planning Guidance on SDC for Braintree District Council and has been instrumental in drafting policies for their emerging Core Strategy. Chris has run CPD sessions and spoken at conferences on the subject of SDC and is also a Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM EcoHomes Assessor. He produces Energy Statements for new developments in partnership with a firm of Energy Assessors; this experience lead to him being appointed to the Renewable Energy and Planning Expert Support Network by The Centre for Sustainable Energy in association with the DECC. Chris sits on the Town and Country Planning Association’s Policy Council and is also a member of the TCPA/FoE Planning and Climate Coalition.

OTHER LINKS

RTPI Policy & Practice - Climate Change: click here

RTPI climate change research papers: click here

Networks and climate change: click here

Return to the Network's Planning to live with climate change page

Return to the Network's homepage

Author:

Rhian Brimble

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

14-Oct-10

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