COP26: “We need to lead by example”, say council leaders

Edinburgh’s ‘Capital Coalition’ council leaders have laid out the scale of Council climate action and investment in Edinburgh to date as part of moves to secure a legacy of climate action from COP26.

The City of Edinburgh Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has set an ambitious target of becoming a net zero city by 2030, 15 years ahead of the national Scottish target.

Major programmes of work  including: £1.3bn Granton Waterfront development – the largest net zero redevelopment undertaken in the city –  and a £2.8bn Council House building investment programme and domestic building retrofit programme, are key projects which will encourage change in Edinburgh at the speed and scale needed.

The Council also committed £0.5m in funding this year along with £4m of related capital investment to improve Edinburgh’s parks, food growing sites and urban forests.

And over the next 10 years, the Council is committed to spending £68m to improve road safety and to further develop infrastructure to make it easier to walk, cycle and wheel around the city.

The Council has also been developing a 2030 Climate Strategy for the city which lays out how it will enable, support and deliver action to meet the city’s net zero ambition by working with leading strategic partners in Edinburgh. The final strategy and accompanying implementation plan are set to be published at the end of November following the global climate conference. 

Council Leader Adam McVey said:  “The issue of climate change affects everyone in our world, Edinburgh faces the same challenges and opportunities in tackling the climate crisis as those world leaders will discuss at COP26.  

“Scotland’s seven major cities make up half of the nation’s emissions and have the greatest opportunity and potential to deliver innovation and rapid acceleration of climate action. As Scotland’s capital city, we need to lead by example.  

“Our vision is that by 2030, Edinburgh will be a net zero and climate resilient city. To get there we need to improve our air quality, protect our green spaces and make it easier for more people to walk, cycle and wheel for every day journeys. We also need to build warm, good quality places to live and work.

“The Council will keep on working with communities, businesses and residents to help deliver the aims in our draft climate strategy. Edinburgh has a strong record of climate action and together we can make fast progress and be at the forefront of funding opportunities to invest in change.”

Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019 the Council has also:

• Joined the Race to Zero, a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth. Edinburgh has also joined Race to Resilience, its sister campaign, helping to prepare for the impacts of climate change that are already set to happen
• Been awarded the maximum of six badges by the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – in recognition of the city’s climate mitigation and adaptation efforts
• Become the only local authority in Scotland (so far) to sign up to the newly launched national Civic Charter on Climate
• Committed to developing Edinburgh as a sustainable food city  after becoming a signatory to the International Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration.

The Council has also taken a number of actions within its own organisation including:

• Invested £1.1m in beginning the task of retrofitting our public buildings in 2021
• Committed to ensure that we no longer develop public buildings with boilers we will need to retrofit;
• Committed to all new council buildings being Passivhaus standard
• Delivered 60% reduction in Council organisational emissions – substantially overshooting original targets
• Become a founding signatory to the Edinburgh Climate Compact, pledging to reduce operational emissions in line with the city’s target 
• Committed to invest in providing training to colleagues to develop their awareness and understanding of climate change and what changes they can take in their professional lives which could lead to a reduction in emissions

Depute Leader Cammy Day added: “Edinburgh offers a huge opportunity to invest in net zero action to build a better future for us all.

“Council action already under way across the city will support the reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change and will also make Edinburgh a better healthier place to live.

“However, no individual partner has the knowledge, skills, capacity or resources to deliver our net zero target on their own.

“Whether that’s the choices people make in their everyday lives, the way small businesses operate, or the strategic, policy and spending decisions made by public and private sector organisations, It will only be through collective effort that we will ensure Edinburgh can make fast progress to meet our climate targets and be at the forefront of funding opportunities to invest in change.

“And we will continue to build on our successes as a city and collaborate to make sure we achieve a legacy to COP26 for the good of the planet and all future generations who will live, work and visit this amazing place.”

Next steps for Council climate action 

As part of the legacy of COP26, the final 2030 Climate Strategy for Edinburgh and accompanying implementation plan are set to be published at the end of November.

Annual city and Council emissions will also be disclosed publicly at the end of the month through CDP (formally the Carbon Disclosure Project) and the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report. 

Progress will also continue of the seven areas of work identified as having the most impact on Edinburgh’s emissions. These include:

1. Creating a partnership of financial investment and delivery organisations to develop a business case for how all Edinburgh’s citizens will be able to affordably retrofit their homes in partnership with the Scottish Futures Trust. 
2. Developing an Edinburgh Community Climate Forum to help empower citizens, encourage behaviour change and community activism on climate action. It will be sponsored by the Council and delivered independently by EVOC and Our Future Edinburgh.
3. Bringing forward business case proposals for community energy generation schemes across the city, with Energy for Edinburgh.
4. Working with Lothian Buses to decarbonise their bus fleet  and developing a plan for shared public service charging hubs.
5. Developing a costed climate change risk assessment for the city and a new city adaptation plan by 2022/23, alongside a regional approach.
6. Establishing a business led Economic Transition Forum and also a new Business for Good programme through Edinburgh CAN B to provide practical support and training for businesses across the city to transition to net zero. 
7. Developing a citywide programme/pipeline of green investment proposals with a Climate Strategy Investment Programme Board.

Additional action and investment towards net zero

In 2021-22 the Council committed to:

• £8.4 million to finish upgrading our street lighting to energy-efficient LED lights
• Trams to Newhaven project including £2.4 million to support local businesses
• £7.6 million to continue to replace more than 200 vehicles with lower emissions ones
• £250,000 to expand EV charging infrastructure for the Council’s own fleet, ensuring that the Council leads by example by making our vehicle fleet carbon zero.
• £200,000 to improve the Council’s recycling performance.
• £500,000 to drive forward the delivery of 20-minute neighbourhoods, making it easier for people to get to and access the services they need in their community.