Appendix 1

December 2019

IndexIntroduction by Leader of the Council and Chief Executive

1
a)
b)

Setting out the Challenge
Interim Report and Action Plan
– Purpose
The Challenge and Our
Response

Page
Number
4
8
4
a)
b)
4
c)

c)

Targets – International,
National, Local

9

9

d)

Current Emissions in Perth &Kinross, and Greatest
Opportunities for Change

10

a)
b)

e)

Shared Vision and Route map

2

Community Engagement,
Empowerment, andAwareness
Why This Is Important?
What Are We Doing Now?
What’s Next?

a)
b)
c)

Page
Number39

Mitigation – Businessand Industry
Why This Is Important
What Are We Doing
Now?
What’s Next?

39
40
40
42

c)

Climate Change
Adaptation
Why This Is Important
What Are We Doing
Now?
What’s Next?

14

10

Just Transitions

45

15

11

Working Together toTackle Climate Change
Introduction
The Council
Community Planning
Partnership
Other Important
Partnerships

47

Measuring andMonitoring
How will we know we aremaking the difference?

50

Conclusion

51

15
15
16

a)
b)
c)
d)

3
a)

Climate Change Mitigation
Introduction

18
18

4
a)
b)
c)

Mitigation – Transport
Why is this so important?
What are we doing now?
What’s next?

20
20
20
23

5

25

a)
b)
c)

Mitigation – Energy and
Building
Why is this important?
What are we doing now?
What’s next?

6
a)
b)
c)

Mitigation – Waste
Why This Is Important?
What Are We Doing Now?
What’s Next?

33
33
33
34

7
a)
b)
c)

Mitigation – Land Use
Why This Is Important?
What Are We Doing Now?
What’s Next?

36
36
36
37

12
a)
13
25
27
31

42
43
44

47
47
48
48

50

Glossary of Terms and Jargon
Buster5255

Appendices5665

2|Page“My generation has failed in its responsibility to protect our planet – that must change. The
climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win. The climate crisis iscaused by us and the solutions must come from us”.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the opening of the Climate Action
Summit, September 2019

Introduction by Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive
Overwhelming scientific evidence has prompted local and national governments to declareclimate emergencies, and this urgency has been given extra impetus by emerging
movements globally and locally - raising awareness of the catastrophic consequences ofinaction. In June this year the Council declared our support for the Scottish Government andUK Parliaments’ climate emergency statements.
We must turn this intent into practice, and this interim report sets out our next steps, outlining
the initial route map to take us to a net zero carbon and climate resilient Perth & Kinross.
This report builds on the substantial work that the Council and its partners have alreadytaken to address the climate challenge. However, we recognise the scale of this challenge, if
we are to achieve the significant societal and technological shifts to move us from a carbonbased economy, to a carbon free and resilient future.
All of us in the Council need to contribute to addressing climate change locally. We
recognise that we will need to tap into greater levels of innovation, including new technology,
new ways of working, and new ways of engaging with our communities.
The Council`s activities only account for 3% of emissions produced in Perth & Kinross. Mostof the emissions come from the way we all produce and consume energy - from heating ourbuildings, driving our cars, buying consumer goods, and disposing our waste - so we all
have a part to play.
Therefore, the Council will use its community leadership and influencing role to work withother public agencies, businesses, communities and citizens to develop a shared vision, andstrategy to address the climate emergency. This will be a central part of the emerging Perth& Kinross Offer, where we will work together across all parts of our community, to identify
what we can all do locally, to address this major global challenge.
We believe that a resource efficient and climate resilient area will not only be a better place
to live, it will also be fairer, more competitive and better placed to ride out future climate andeconomic shocks.
Together we can make these vital changes. We have to - we owe it to our future
generations.
Murray Lyle
Council Leader

Karen Reid
Chief Executive

3|Page1a)Setting Out the Challenge

Interim Report and Action Plan - Purpose

In June 2019 Perth & Kinross Council acknowledged its responsibilities, by unanimously
passing a Motion (Appendix 1), which committed the Council to lead by example inaccelerating the transformational change required to address the climate emergency. The
Chief Executive was tasked with setting out a route map to deliver through co-production
with citizens and other stakeholders, a low carbon Perth & Kinross.
This report is the first stage in that journey. It is deliberately an interim document and forms
the basis to start the conversation with our national and local elected representatives, ourpartners and our communities, over the next few months (as detailed in part 2 below) giving all partners and all citizens a chance to play a part in delivering a low carbon andclimate resilient Perth & Kinross. This report sets out our current status, and our current
thinking, by highlighting:1)

the size and complexity of the challenge as it relates to the Council as anorganisation, and the wider Perth and Kinross area.

2)

the increasing range of international, national and local policies, targets, andlegislation; and how they will direct and influence our activities over the next
decades.

3)

our proposals for taking forward comprehensive engagements on climate change, todevelop a shared vision, strategy and actions, which will be essential for the entire
Perth and Kinross area to achieve a net zero carbon future.

4)

the extensive activity the Council and partners are already carrying out, to address
climate change mitigation and adaptation; as well as detailing short, medium, andlong term actions, and options, which demonstrates our commitment to accelerating
progress on climate change.

5)

our commitment to “just transitions”, to ensure that climate change actions progress
hand in hand with fairness and equality; and that no one in a vulnerable situation is
disadvantaged by climate change transformation.

6)

how we are currently organised to work together, and how that close working canevolve to ensure our future climate change activities remain unified, focussed andeffective.

b)

The Challenge and Our Responsei)

The Climate Emergency

Whilst for some time, there has been almost universal recognition that climate change is oneof the biggest risks facing our planet, the urgency of action was brought sharply into focus in2018 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which stated that we must
limit global warming to 1.5°C. Even with a rise of 1.5°C, IPCC reported that there would be
risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security and economic
growth. A rise of 2°C would be even more catastrophic (see Figure 1).

4|Page

The IPCC warns that we only have a limited period left (2030) to take the decisive andserious action required to avert this crisis and avoid the worst impacts.
Figure 1 Impacts of Different Climate Change Scenarios

In May 2019 the UK Parliament declared a climate change emergency. This was followedby the Climate Change Secretary’s statement to the Scottish Parliament on 14 May 2019.
“There is a global climate emergency. The evidence is irrefutable. The science isclear. And people have been clear: they expect action. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change issued a stark warning last year: the world must act now.”ii)

Mitigation and Adaptation

Addressing climate change is complex and challenging. Actions centre around two mainareas of work:
1. Mitigation- this is what we need to do to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Thiscan be achieved by making our homes, businesses and transport more energy
efficient, or switching to carbon neutral energy sources. It can also involve positive
actions to enhance our ability to absorb or capture Carbon Dioxide (CO2) such asincreasing our woodland cover, or the restoration of peatlands.
2. Adaptation - the actions we need to take to make adjustments to deal with theimpacts of climate change. This could include making changes to our buildings, sothey keep cool during hotter summers, or are less at risk of being flooded. It could beusing scarce water resources more efficiently, or making changes to the crops wegrow, or trees we plant in our forests, so that they are less vulnerable to new pests
and diseases, or to storms or wild fires (see part 9 of this report).

5|Pageiii)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Whilst much of the public attention has centred on carbon emissions, if climate change is tobe mitigated, it is essential that we minimise the emissions of all greenhouse gases. The key
gases vary depending on the sector - for example while the focus in the domestic sector may
be carbon dioxide; for the agricultural sector, addressing methane emissions also has aprominent role.
To date the Council mitigation focus has been on reducing its own emissions. Recent
Scottish climate change legislation however, gives a clear role for the Council to work with its
partners, citizens and businesses to ensure that the whole Perth & Kinross area becomesa net zero carbon place by 2045 at the latest. This means that we must reduce the carbon
emissions to a level which are equal to or less than the ability of our natural ecosystems (i.e.
our woodlands and peatlands) to absorb and retain carbon.
Figure 2 The Journey to Zero Carbon

Source: UK Committee of Climate Change (based on UK target of zero carbon by 2050)
iv)

Costs and Opportunities

Delivering a low carbon future will be expensive and will require difficult decisions on
spending options. This report highlights multiple occasions where we have already accessed
different funding sources to make a difference (over £49 million in funding has been secured
since 2013), and we need to maximise access to further funding opportunities to achieve ourambitions.
Figure 3
The UK Committee on Climate Change
estimated the additional annual cost to
the economy of achieving net zero
emissions is 1-2% of the country’s
gross domestic product (currently £2trillion) - therefore indicating that £2040 billion needs to be spent each year
on carbon reduction, by 2050.

Source: UK Committee of Climate
Change6|PageMore positively, many low carbon measures will deliver energy savings with resultant lower
energy bills for citizens and organisations. Fundamentally however, several key studies,most notably the Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change, have shown thatdelaying action will cost society much more in the longer term. This study indicated that foreach tonne of CO2 we emit, it causes damage worth at least $85, but emissions can be cut,at a cost of less than $25 a tonne.
Figure 4
While climate change brings fearsome risks it
also brings huge opportunities if we get our
response right. The cost of mitigating andadapting to climate change is far outweighedby the economic benefits – in terms ofdamage avoidance, extra growth achieved
through new investment and infrastructure,prosperity boosted through innovativetechnology, and profits made from new
business opportunities (see Figure 4).

Source: UK Committee on Climate Changev) Human Health and Biodiversity
A changing climate creates significant public health risks including death and injury fromextreme weather, heat and flooding; increased effects from air pollution; concerns over foodsecurity; the spread of disease; the displacement of populations; and increased levels of
mental ill health. Conversely climate change adaptation and mitigation measures have thepotential to deliver benefits to health and wellbeing - for example, well insulated andventilated homes, increased active travel, strong social cohesion, sustainable food systems,
and a reduction in air pollution.
Some parts of Scotland’s population are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts ofclimate change, including those with existing health conditions and our ageing population,with the greatest effects being felt in areas of high deprivation.
Regionally, the Tayside Joint Public Health Protection Plan establishes priorities for the
Tayside area, taking account of the key challenges identified nationally in relation tocommunicable diseases, and also the area’s ageing and growing population projections.
Tackling climate change is one of the core principles of this Plan.
Climate change will also be catastrophic for the diversity of the planet`s plant and animal
species, which we all rely on for a balanced ecosystem. All public bodies in Scotland have alegal duty to further the interests of biodiversity. Enhancing biodiversity by protecting andrestoring ecosystems can help us reduce the extent of climate change and cope better with
its impacts. This is covered in part 7 of the report.

7|PageBehaviours

vi)

Most of the reductions in emissions in recent years have come from closing coal power
stations and cleaning up heavy industry. That was the easy part. It’s a lot harder to reduce
emissions from transport, agriculture and buildings. That will require much greater use ofrenewable energy, and infrastructure (to capture and store remaining carbon emissions),
and especially changes in our behaviour.
Recent analysis by the Committee on Climate Change shows that changing technology
alone will be insufficient to reach a net-zero carbon target. Technology alone can only
account for 38% of the required reductions in emissions.
A truly successful response to climate change requires us not just to change our technology
but to change our whole way of living and of thinking. Figure 5 shows that 62% of emissions
reductions have to come from societal/behavioural changes, either directly, or in combination
with technology. We need a revolution in way we live. This is about much more than justcutting emissions – it’s about turning our thinking on its head, to plan for a sustainable futurein which we are responsible consumers and responsible custodians of the planet’s future.
Behavioural change requires the involvement of our citizens and businesses. It also requires
the Council and other public sector agencies to understand and, where possible, remove thebarriers to behavioural change. It is only therefore, through working together that changing
behaviours will be achieved.
Figure 5 Behaviour and Technology Impacts
Proportion of emissions reduction from technologies
and societal / behavioural changes
9%

Low-carbon technologies or fuels
not societal / behavioural changes

38%
Measure with a combination of
low-carbon technologies andsocietal / behavioural changes
Largely societal or behaviouralchanges

53%

Source: CCCUK

Source: UK Committee on Climate Change

vii)

Setting targets

Whilst several nations and cities throughout the world have set ambitious targets which
pledge to reach a carbon neutral position much earlier than national targets, many havedone so without developing evidence to demonstrate how these targets might be achieved,
and how much that will cost. Also, some have set targets without engaging with thosepartner organisations and communities, which are vital to sharing the delivery of the change.

8|PageWe must engage with all our stakeholders and take a shared responsibility for setting targets
which are realistic, achievable, and have the commitment of all. Therefore, we aim to jointly
develop targets with our communities, taking into account different scenarios, and being
realistic about the challenge and costs involved for each scenario - see part 2 of this report.
(Action SA2 – Appendix 2)c)

Our Targets – International, National, Locali)

Introduction

International bodies and national governments have responded to the climate change
emergency by setting increasingly ambitious targets. The following summarises the mostsignificant targets for Perth and Kinross arising from international, EU, UK and Scottish
sources.
ii)

International

The main targets are:Paris Agreement 2015 - sets a target to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C above
pre-industrial levels and to attempt limiting the overall increase to 1.5°C. Nations are
required to work towards the elimination of climate change through a number of measures
under the Agreement’s obligations, as well as report on emissions and implementation
efforts.
United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 - Goal 13: Climate Action - sets
the requirement for nations to ‘Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts’by 2030.
iii)

UK Targets

To deliver its international obligations and comply with EU legislation, the UK Government
has set a target to be carbon neutral by 2050, with the introduction of the Climate Change
Act 2008. This includes both carbon and other greenhouse gases.
iv)

Scottish Targets

Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 – set new targets
for Scotland:➢ Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045
➢ New interim targets, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - 56% by 2020, 75% by2030, and 90% by 2040
Scottish Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019-20 - confirms the net zero targets
for greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and sets very ambitious targets, which may be
included in future legislation. The targets for transport are:➢ Phasing out new petrol and diesel cars by 2032.
➢ Creating the conditions to phase out the need for all new petrol and diesel vehicles in
Scotland’s public sector fleet by 2030.
➢ Phasing out the need for all petrol and diesel cars from the public sector fleet by2025.

9|Page

The Programme`s targets for the energy sector are:➢ Developing regulations so that all new homes from 2024 must use renewable or low
carbon heat.
➢ Phase in renewable and low carbon heating systems for new non-domestic buildings
consented from 2024.
➢ Reaching Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2040 for all Scottish
homes.
➢ Under the new Fuel Poverty Act 2019, no more than 5% of Scottish households will
be in fuel poverty, and no more than 1% will be in extreme fuel poverty by 2040.
v)

Perth & Kinross Council

The need to address climate change is already embedded in many Council plans andstrategies. Our main strategic documents - the Community Plan, the Corporate Plan and our
Local Development Plan - all set out our aspirations to address climate change by reducing
our emissions and by making our area more resilient towards the impacts of climate change.
In some cases, targets are set however; the targets need to be refreshed to keep pace withthe emerging statutory and policy targets set by UK and Scottish Governments. (Action SA2– Appendix 2)d)Current Emissions in Perth & Kinross, and Greatest Opportunities for Changei)Emissions in Scotland

Figure 6 shows that across Scotland transport, agriculture and industry are the highest
contributors of greenhouse gases, with forestry providing a significant capture of carbon, tooffset emissions.
Figure 6 Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions (figures are expressed as million tonnes CO2
equivalent)ii)

Emissions for Entire Perth & Kinross Area

Across Perth and Kinross, there is a continued reduction in both total CO2 emissions and per
capita (per person) CO2 emissions. This follows a trend across Scotland, although per capita
10 | P a g e

emissions in Perth and Kinross remain consistently higher than the average acrossScotland, as shown by Figure 7 and 8.,
Figure 7

Figure 8

Perth and Kinross CO2 emissions estimates 2005-2017(kt CO2)

Per capita CO2 emissions estimates 2005-2017(t CO2)

10

1600

8

1195
923

800

t CO2

6.1

6

5.3

4

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

0
2006

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

0

2005

Perth & Kinross
Scotland2

2007

Gross Emissions
Net Emissions

400

2005

kt CO21200

Source: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

The latest available area-wide emissions
data (2017) recorded gross emissions of
1,195,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide(CO2) for all activities in the Perth andKinross area. However, this is offset byland use such as forestry, acting as a
“carbon sink” which absorbs CO2.
Therefore, the balanced net CO2
emissions by Perth and Kinross,contributing to climate change
damage were 923,000 tonnes.
Figure 9 – Perth and Kinross area-wide
emissions data (2017)

The following part of the report highlights that the Council is a relatively small directcontributor to overall emissions in Perth & Kinross. To inform our future actions we need toconsider those emissions which are under the Council`s direct control to reduce, thoseemissions that we have some influence over, and those emissions where our influence islimited.
11 | P a g e

Using transport as an illustration:
EmissionsCouncil has direct control

Transport Actions
Deciding to change Council Fleet frompetrol/diesel to electric or other low carbon
vehiclesTaking measures such as parking charging
policies, subsidising local bus transport, andencourage local residents to use alternative
forms of transport
Road uses travelling on the M90/A90 or the
A9 through Perth and Kinross to/from other
Scottish cities

Council has influence

Council has very little influence

The net area CO2 emissions data for the whole Perth and Kinross area represent a
combination of sources, which are either within or outwith our scope of influence, as shown
below.
Scope of influence
Within Perth and Kinross Council influence
Outwith Perth and Kinross Council
influence

Emission source
Industry/Commercial/Domestic Gas andElectricity, Large Industrial Installations,
Agriculture, A roads and Minor roads.
Motorways, Trunk Roads, Railways, Large
Industrial Sites and certain land-use.

In 2017, 85% of Perth and Kinross area emissions were identified as being within thescope of influence of the Council. Of this, the Transport sector accounted for 48%,
Domestic sector 27% and Industry and Commercial 25%, as shown by Figure 11 and 12.
Figures 10 and 11 - CO2 emissions within the scope of influence of Perth & Kinross Council(by Sector)

Sector CO2 emissions estimates 2005-2017 (kt CO2)

Sector share of CO2 emissions 2017500

kt CO2450
Industry &Commercial
25%

400
350

Transport
48%

Industry & Commercial

300

Domestic

250

Domestic
27%

Transport

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

200

Source: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

Figure 11 shows that for CO2 emissions within the scope of influence of the Council,
although emissions from industry, commercial and domestic sources are reducing, thetransport related emissions are increasing. This also closely follows the trend across Perthand Kinross as a whole.
Therefore, this indicates that in terms of prioritisation of activity to areas of greatest impact,transport is the most significant sector to target.

12 | P a g e

iii)Perth & Kinross Council Emissions

Whilst we in the Council acknowledge our responsibilities towards climate change, ouremissions are only a small part of the overall emissions profile of Perth & Kinross. The direct
carbon emissions from the Council account for less than 3% of the total Perth & Kinrossemissions (Figure 12).
Figure 12: Comparison of Emissions (Perth & Kinross area compared to Council)

The Council reports emissions figures annually as part of the mandatory Public Sector
Climate Change Reporting process (see part 11 of this report). The annual combined
emissions for waste and energy is shown in figure 13 below. (vehicle fleet emissions data
will be also be included in the reporting process for 2018/19, but are not included in figure 13
as no comparison is available for previous years).
The data (figure 12) shows a reducing overall level of emissions, particularly for energy with waste now proportionately the higher contributor to emissions. These annual emissions
estimates and emissions may vary year on year, for example the imact of a cold winter will
significantly increase emissions.
Figure 12: Public Sector Climate Change Duties 2018 Summary Report: Perth and KinrossCouncil
Perth & Kinross Council reported CO2 emissions
40000
35000

ktCO2

30000
25000

Waste

20000

Energy

15000
10000
5000
0
2015/162016/172017/18

2018/19

Source: Perth & Kinross Council
13 | P a g e

As part of our joint actions on Climate Change with our Community Planning partners (seepart 12 of this report) we aim to share our emissions data, to establish a true picture of ourcollective impact on emissions, to compare and benchmark results, and look for joint
opportunities to reduce emissions. (Action M3 – Appendix 2)e)Shared Vision and Route map

Our ambition is to develop a vision which is co-created with our communities andstakeholders - one in which all parties understand their contribution and are signed up to
deliver upon (see part 2 of the report). Whilst the overall targets may be set by legislation,
the debate on our vision centres round how quickly we chose to deliver on our ambitions,and indeed whether we want to go further or faster than legal targets dictate (Action SA2 –Appendix 2). It is also important that the vision not only sets our local targets but sets out
what achieving these targets will look like.
Our short term route map to achieve our ambition over 2019 and 2020 is detailed below in
Figure 14

Figure 14 Short-term Route Map

14 | P a g e

2 Community Engagement,
Empowerment and Awareness Raisinga)

Why This is Important?

Globally, household consumption accounts for about 72% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The need for major changes in household consumption is even more pressing in highincome countries such as the UK, and this applies equally to Perth & Kinross
Up to now, behaviour change and societal change around lifestyles and consumption haveplayed a relatively minor role in meeting UK emissions reductions targets. Part 1 of thereport highlighted the significant role that behaviours need to make if we are to be successful
in reaching a zero carbon Perth & Kinross. Achieving the necessary radical changes, cannot
be introduced or successfully implemented without public involvement, and lifestyle change
on a range of key issues like diet, personal travel and home heating.
Therefore, with our ambition to reduce emissions to net zero, we recognise the need for the
public, as citizens and consumers, to have a much larger role in shaping our collective future
actions. This is consistent with the emerging work on the Perth & Kinross Offer where theCouncil co-creates solutions with communities and stakeholders, to support everyone in thearea to live life well. We need to support the mobilisation of community led action, to help ourarea move towards net zero carbon emissions.
b)What Are We doing Now?
Since the Council Motion in June 2019 (seeAppendix 1) we have engaged with
communities, mainly through Climate
Change Café events across Perth andKinross. These early conversations havehelped to identify current activities and local
initiatives, as well as informing some of thepriorities and actions detailed in this report.

Blairgowrie Climate Change Café Community
Engagement Event 2019

The Perth City Development Board (an independently chaired partnership of public services
and business groups) has included its far-reaching ambitions in a new draft Perth City Plan.
The Plan identifies climate change as a significant challenge and proposes that Perth will be
the first city in Scotland to achieve the Government’s goal of net zero greenhouse gas
emissions and will develop a comprehensive approach to mitigating the impacts of climatechange. It advocates for a 25% reduction in car use and a shift to public transport and active
travel by 2025; to become Scotland’s leading city for active travel by 2030; and on track toachieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040; and for the city centre to be a lowemission zone. This ambitious vision needs further analysis to identify the extent of thischallenge and how it may be achieved.

15 | P a g e

We recognise the need for conversations with communities in relation to climate change
adaptation and resilience, in preparation for extreme weather conditions. For example, in
preparation for floods, the Council has been working with communities and local resiliencegroups to deliver the awareness raising actions set out within its local flood risk management
plans.

Case study: Adapting to Climate Change in the Carse of Gowrie
Communities will benefit from having a more direct stake in their environment, andbecome more resilient to the climate changes happening around them, both locally andglobally. Working in partnership, Perth & Kinross Council, Adaptation Scotland,
SNIFFER and Carse of Gowrie's Sustainability Group, helped the community to map
their local area to consider the likely impacts and effects of climate change – and thepotential to proactively adapt to address the challenges and issues that this might bring.
The community went on to develop a resilience plan for the area and continues to map
the impacts for their area. Click here for video.
We carry out extensive engagements with community groups and school groups on aspects
of climate change such as active travel, energy management and extreme weather
resilience. We recognise that to date this has tended to be via individual Services engaging
on single issues, and we need a more co-ordinated programme and toolkit to raiseawareness and support our communities make changes (Action E5 – Appendix 2).
c)What`s Next?

i)

Community Engagement

We will carry out widespread engagement during February to April 2020 as part of thewider Perth and Kinross Offer, to develop and describe a shared vision for Perth andKinross, identify the main actions we all can take, and start the conversation about targets
for the Perth and Kinross area. We will engage with all households and businesses within
Perth and Kinross, as well as other public bodies and third sector. An initial list of potential
groups to engage with is provided in Appendix 3, and we will be offering a range of public
engagement opportunities.
In recognition that many of the critical effects of climate change will impact most significantly
beyond 2050, we will prioritise engaging with all students and secondary school pupils
studying within the area.
The questions will not centre around whether we will tackle the climate emergency, but how
quickly we will act. We also need to understand the willingness of individuals and businesses
to change the way we all operate and live our lives. An understanding of the barriers tochange is critical, as is the role of the public sector in helping to remove barriers andsupporting change.
Our engagement will present a range of scenarios to address the climate emergency. The
scenarios will be based on a rapid transition, medium transition and just meeting statutory
targets where appropriate. For each scenario the pros and cons will be identified as will theindicative costs, where available. The engagement will also attempt to examine some of thesocietal changes which will be required to implement the scenarios.

16 | P a g e

The scenarios explored will focus on 4 areas• Delivering statutory functions in a carbon neutral manner• Ensuring Perth & Kinross is a carbon neutral area
• Reducing the carbon footprint of Perth & Kinross• Ensuring resilience plans are in place to respond to climate change adaptation(Action SA1 – Appendix 2)
ii)

Climate Change Commission

To ensure the commitment of all parts of the community in local climate change action,
several Councils have established Climate Change Commissions, which have a wide rangeof local representation.
We aim to establish a Perth & Kinross Climate Commission to help our area make positive
choices on issues relating to energy, carbon, weather and climate. It should bring together
key organisations and actors from across the area, and from our communities and the
public, private and third sectors. (Action SA3 – Appendix 2).
The Commission will be an independent voice in the area, providing authoritative advice on
steps towards a low carbon, climate resilient future, to inform our shared vision and shape
the actions of local stakeholders and decision makers. It will monitor progress towards
meeting the area’s carbon reduction targets and recommend actions to keep the area oncourse to achieve its ambitions.
The Commission will also act as a forum where organisations and communities can
exchange ideas, research findings, information and best practice on carbon reduction andclimate resilience.
We will also work with communities and other stakeholders, and through the Climate
Change Commission, to co-produce a shared action programme to the deliver emissions
reduction targets for our area. (Action E1 – Appendix 2)iii)

Engagement and Awareness Raising

We will develop new ways to work with communities and businesses to identify further
measures, to make a step change to a low carbon economy, through a range of activities
and events including conferences and an annual climate change award event (Actions E1 &E2 – Appendix 2).
iv)

Staff Awareness Raising

Recognising that our staff will be at the heart of delivering our climate change ambitions, wewill develop an online training resource for all staff with modules on climate change issues
and how it affects the Council and the individual, with a Service specific module, and a
module on actions we can take in our personal life. This will be supplemented with drop in
sessions and other Council learning opportunities. (Actions E3 – Appendix 2)a) On line Web Based Resourse
We will develop a dedicated community web site, shared with our Community Planning
Partners, providing a local one-stop-shop on for all matters related to climate change, which
all interested parties can contribute and share. (Action E4 – Appendix 2)

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3 Climate Change Mitigationa)Introduction

Before engaging with our communities over the actions we all need to take, the following
section highlights the significant activities that the Council has been engaged in, over a
period of years, to reduce emissions. Some headlines include: ✓ We have reduced the total energy consumption from our buildings by 17%
from 2012 levels, despite increasing the number of operational Councilbuildings.
✓ We have improved the energy performance of our Council Housing stockfrom 73% in 2015 to 82% in 2019 (Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing)✓ We have attracted over £49m in external funding since 2010 for projects
contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change
adaptions✓ We have reduced the amount of CO2 emissions from our waste by 33% since2011, through improved waste reduction, reuse and recycle✓ We have over 80 Electric Vehicle Charging Points available to the public in
Perth & KinrossThis does not mean we are complacent. We recognise that to make the step changes to azero carbon and climate resilient future, we need to accelerate the scale of our activities.
Some of this work is highly innovative and sector leading, such as the SMART Energy
Network (see case study below)
Case Study – SMART Energy Network
Perth & Kinross Council, in collaboration with the Can Do Innovation Challenge
Fund and Innovate UK, are running a phased design competition where we havechallenged five teams of energy experts to design a prototype smart energy system
which has the ability to generate renewable energy and trade/transfer that energy toa different council site for storage and use.
The main aim of the project is to develop a sustainable system that can be used to
power buildings in the Council's estate and reduce ongoing energy costs andexisting carbon footprint as part of a ‘Perth Smart Energy Network’.
Although this project’s scope and primary aims are to service the Council's estate,
there are a number of other potential exciting future possibilities such as giving theCouncil a direct mechanism to help tackle fuel poverty, or the means to reduce theenergy demand and costs of social housing, and passing these benefits onto
vulnerable groups.
This project has the potential to completely overhaul the way in which we power ourCouncil estate not only saving the Council money on energy costs but also opening
up a potential new income generation stream.

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The next parts of the report (sections 4-8) highlight some of our main activities alreadyunderway, what is currently in the pipeline, and what further actions we need to take, tomake that further leap towards a net zero carbon Perth & Kinross. We focus on the following
five areas:
•
•
•
•
•

Transport
Buildings and Energy
Waste
Land Use
Business and Industry

Our interim plan of proposed actions is detailed in Appendix 2. This plan will change as weengage further with our partners and communities.

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4a)Mitigation – Transport

Why This is Important

Emissions from transport amounts to approximately 50% of the total CO2 emissions for Perth& Kinross. This represents the largest single sector and perhaps the most complex. It is also
the only major sector which has been experiencing increasing emissions in recent years.
The achievement of our emissions targets can only be achieved with modal shift away frompetrol/diesel car use, and significant improvements in the transport sector. Simply relying on
the electrification of the private car or the emergence of a hydrogen - fuelled large vehicle
fleet, will be too little and too late, to meet the critical date for action by 2030.
Perth & Kinross is at the heart of the national road and rail network with a significant
proportion of movements between the north / north east and the central belt of Scotland
travelling through the area. A large proportion of the transport related emissions in this area approximately 50% - are generated by national traffic using the road and rail network, andtherefore outwith the Council’s direct influence.
The Council can however influence the travel patterns of residents and businesses within
our area, using a range of positive measures, including improved walking and cycling
opportunities, working with bus operators to enhance public transport, expanding the
network of Park and Ride facilities and expanding the network of Electric Vehicle (EV)
Charging Points. The Council also has within its powers more deterrent measures, such as
parking restrictions and parking pricing controls.
The new Transport Act provides an opportunity to support climate change action for local
communities with powers including actions on workplace parking, and public transportenhancement.
Climate change and air quality are inextricably linked; air pollution often originates from thesame activities that contribute to climate change. The majority of both greenhouse gases
and air pollutants are produced by vehicle engines, power generation and domestic heating,and as such multiple measures aimed at reducing air pollutants often also reduce CO2
emissions, for example the adoption of low emission vehicles.
b)

What We Are Doing Now?

i)

Active Travel

The Active Travel Strategy co-developed by Perth and Kinross Council promotes walking,cycling and wheeling (including bikes, skateboards, scooters, wheelchair users). An actiongroup has been established with Perth Active Travel Hub (PATH) which brings local
authority representatives, members of the public and third sector organisations together topromote active travel.
We successfully bid for £6.5m funding from the Sustrans Places for Everyone Programme,
for the transformation of the Dunkeld Road Corridor in Perth. This will create space for more
efficient modes of transport – walking, cycling and public transport – so we can move people
more efficiently across the city.
The Cycling Walking Safer Streets initiative provides an extensive network of safe walking
and cycling routes enabling residents, commuters and visitors to travel actively andsustainably.

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A School Exclusion Zones trial was carried out at four schools. These zones were
established to encourage active travel, reduce vehicle engine idling, and make streetsoutside schools safer and healthier for children, parents and nearby residents. This has
reduced the traffic volumes by a third in the most successful trial areas.
Reducing vehicle speeds in built up areas encourages more active travel. We are trialling
20 mph zones in 5 locations throughout the area, so people feel more confident and safer
using active travel modes.
`Smarter Choices, Smarter Places` is a programme funded by Transport Scotland to support
Scottish local authorities to encourage active and sustainable travel choices. Through thisprogramme, we have promoted sustainable travel through actions such as real time bus
information, cycle parking facilities and signage, installation of cycle and pedestrian
counters, school workshops to promote active travel, and incentivisation of sustainable travel
through Mi rewards, and we are looking to extend this activity. (Action T9 – Appendix 2)
ii)

Sustainable Travel

The Council`s Mobility Board has begun work on a Mobility Strategy, to encourage a modal
shift by prioritising the travel hierarchy i.e. active travel, public transport, pool cars/car
sharing, private cars. The strategy will also address the freight needs of our businesses andresidents. A successful mobility strategy will ensure it supports, not constrains, thesustainable economic growth of our area. (Action SA4 – Appendix 2)
We will expand the work of the Board to involve wider stakeholders and ensure that the final
strategy has shared outcomes with partners (Action T2 – Appendix 2).
To assist these discussions, we aim to commission research to explore and cost a range ofoptions required to achieve the required modal shift and deliver a low carbon transport futureof Perth & Kinross. (Action T3 – Appendix 2).
Figure 15 Mobility Strategy Themesii)

Low Carbon Transport InfrastructureOver 80 Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers have been installed across Perth & Kinross and offer
coverage in major towns and some rural locations -click here for more information. Future
PKC charger installations will be introduced, based on funding, identified needs andaccessibility/proximity to suitable locations.
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The Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (TACTRAN) members are
consulting on a strategy for innovative and extensive EV charging infrastructure throughout
the region. A Regional EV Forum has been created to co-ordinate local and regional EV
activities across the region, to support the uptake of EV’s across all vehicle types. (Action T4– Appendix 2)
The Low Carbon Transport and Active Travel Hubs Project is already underway. This will
create an innovative travel hub located at Broxden, Perth, a strategically important site on
the Scottish motorway network. The project will combine on-site generation of renewableenergy and battery storage assets to support the EV charging hub.
The Council is also developing proposals for hydrogen refuelling facilities at Broxden. This
would be the first Hydrogen station for zero emission hydrogen vehicles in the Perth andKinross area. (Action T5 – Appendix 2)
iv)

Electric / Alternative Fuel Vehicles

There are a growing number of Electric Vehicles (EVs) within the Council fleet - 27 to date
which is 9% of the small vehicle fleet. There are currently six chargers for Council fleet
vehicles to use around Perth city and three additional fleet charger locations have been
confirmed for 2019/20 installations. This will support the change, as our electric fleet
expands.
A fleet replacement vehicle strategy foralternative fuels is being developed, tomove towards achieving Scottish
Government targets for all smaller public
service vehicles to be carbon free by2025. (Action T6 – Appendix 2). The
project includes a Travel Hierarchy,
which has identified a requirement tochange the culture of how staff approach
the requirement to attend meetings,
including tele / videoconferencing
options (Action T7 – Appendix 2)
A car lease scheme for electric and low
carbon vehicles for Council staff has
been developed, which will encourage switching to more sustainable vehicles (Action T8 –Appendix 2).
v)

Corporate Travel Planning

The Transport Planning team provides sustainable infrastructure for commuters to choose
their mode of travel, with the following alternatives available to Council employees: LiftShare Scheme, E-Bikes trial events, Cycle to work Scheme. (Action T9 – Appendix 2)vi)

Public Transport

The Council invests in the region of £2.1m per year in the subsidised local public transport
network throughout Perth and Kinross Council area. This provides around 1.88 million miles
per annum, over and above that operated by the commercial bus and coach network. A
number of initiatives are underway and will be continued and expanded.
To encourage wider bus use, we are installing Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI)
displays at bus stop locations and public facilities, offering cycle lockers at key bus stop
locations, and are working with bus operators to upgrade to contactless payment facilities,
and support discounted fares. (Action T10 – Appendix 2)
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The Council has introduced Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) schemes in ruralcommunities by replacing low frequency bus services with a more cost effective,
environmentally friendly and accessible solution. Two DRT services are in place, currently
covering Kinloch Rannoch and West Kinross-shire We will explore implementing additional
DRT schemes (Action T11 – Appendix 2)
There are currently 23 Community Transport (CT) schemes within Perth & Kinross. The
Council supports Community Transport organisations through the Perth and KinrossCommunity Transport Forum and will encourage new CT operators to fulfil this vital role in
the transport chain. (Action T11 – Appendix 2)
We promote the use of the park and ride as an attractive, alternative option and toencourage a significant shift from traffic on key corridors. There are three park and ride sites
at Perth (Broxden), Scone and Kinross. We are exploring further park and ride options
around Perth city (Action T12 – Appendix 2)
vii)Land Use Planning

The recently adopted Local Development Plan sets out a delivery strategy which focuses the
majority of new development in Perth & Kinross to settlements where there is existing
infrastructure and services that can be used. This enables the use of existing public
transport provision and active travel links, to help reduce the need for private vehicle use.
The Transport Planning team assesses planning applications - promoting active travel byplacing pedestrians and cyclists at the top of the street-user hierarchy. This can be achievedby existing infrastructure being adapted and new infrastructure being provided to support
sustainable travel choices to users.
viii)

Air Quality

The Council has declared Air Quality Management Areas in Perth city and Crieff, withdetailed plans to tackle emissions in both areas. Each year the Council bids for Scottish
Government funding to progress air quality improvement measures and to date have beensuccessful in implementing a variety of projects including: provision of bus shelters,
recruitment of an iBike officer, bike/scooter shelter installations. (Action T13 – Appendix 2)c)What`s Next?

i)

Sustainable Travel

The introduction of travel plans reduces reliance on single occupancy vehicles and supportsa shift towards sustainable travel. In order to lead by example and create a robust corporate
travel plan, the Council has undertaken a comprehensive staff travel survey. It will bepresent in the final Corporate Travel Plan and will be evaluated annually to establish the rateof a modal shift away from single occupancy car usage at the Council. (Action T9 –Appendix 2)
We are progressing the development of a comprehensive network of active travel routes toserve the City of Perth building phase one, the Dunkeld Road corridor. We will beconsidering these incentives to sustainable travel, alongside levers such as parking policies
to disincentivise private vehicle use. (Action T14 & T15 – Appendix 2)
ii)

Low Carbon Transport Infrastructure

The Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge (SOTC) Fund aims increase the uptake of
EVs in Scotland’s towns and cities by supporting local authorities with incentives andpromotion of EVs. We will be applying for future SOTC funding, in order to support the
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growth of high quality urban EV infrastructure, but also to focus on rural areas. (Action T6 –Appendix 2)
At present there is only one EV and one Hybrid taxi vehicle operating within Perth & Kinross.
Dundee City Council have successfully encouraged taxi firms to adopt EVs across Dundee.
Using Dundee as a blueprint, we will engage and support taxi companies in the transition to
EV vehicles. This will include looking at enhancing the EV infrastructure to support the needsof EV taxis and all other EV users. Charging Hubs with solar power canopies and battery
storage facilities are required to facilitate this transition, using grant funding available via the
Scottish Government. (Action T16 – Appendix 2)
We are partnering with Transport Scotland, in the Electric A9 project, which is increasing theavailability and accessibility of EV charging points on the A9 route. Electric A9 brandedchargers will be installed in Auchterarder, Dunkeld and Pitlochry to be included by the end of
2019/20 with more locations to be included. (Action T17 – Appendix 2)iii)

Public and Community Transport

The Council`s Public Transport Unit will present their proposed Local Transport Strategy toCommittee before the end of 2020 detailing actions we can take to encourage moresustainable public and community transport activities. (Actions T18 to T22 – Appendix 2).
iv)

Air Quality

Low Emission Zones (LEZs), or alternative vehicle access restrictions, are a legal tool which
can be used to set an environmental limit on certain roads to allow access to only vehicles
that are deemed to have cleanest emissions. All local authorities with an Air Quality
Management Area (AQMA) (where transport is the primary pollutant) must undergo
screening for such zoning in 2020 to identify how such changes could reduce emissions
from transport, and in turn, contribute to greenhouse gas reduction targets. The Scottish
Government has stipulated that zoning be completed by 2023 (Action T23 – Appendix 2).
There are further air quality related regulatory measures which would support climatechange mitigation, introduced by the new Transport Act. We will investigate the costs options
for these. (Action T24 & T25 – Appendix 2).

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5Mitigation – Energy and Buildingsa)

Why This is Importanti)

All buildings

The way we heat and power our buildings is a major contributor to CO2 emissions. Acrossall of Perth & Kinross the total carbon emissions from domestic buildings is 273, 300 tonnes,
and non-domestic buildings is 289,600 tonnes - predominately from space / water heating,and the equipment we use in our homes and businesses.
The ambitious and challenging Scottish Government targets for both the domestic and nondomestic sector are detailed below:
Figure 16 Key Targets for Buildings

Our priority must be to minimise the amount of energy we use by ensuring our buildings areenergy efficient; that the systems and equipment we use are efficient; and ensuring our
future energy requirements are provided by sustainable sources. This is known as theenergy hierarchy of “Lean, Clean, Green” approach to climate change – see Figure 17.

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Figure 17 - “Lean, Clean, Green” approach to climate changeii)

Domestic Sector

The Scottish Government Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map identifies the key targets forthe domestic sector, including :••••Maximise the number of social rented homes achieving Energy Performance
Certificate (EPC) B standard by 2032
Private rented homes to achieve EPC E by 2022, to reach EPC D by 2025, and toachieve EPC C by 2030 (where technically feasible and cost effective)
All owner occupied homes to reach EPC C by 2040 (where technically feasible andcost effective)
All homes with households in fuel poverty to reach EPC C by 2030 and EPC B by
2040 (where technically feasible and cost effective)

Whilst most homes will require to be EPC C by 2040, this action alone will not be enough tomeet the net zero carbon target. We will also need to adopt renewable sources to meet
residual heat needs, energy efficient appliances, and the knowledge and means to efficiently
use the technology available. Behavioural change, such as, closing doors and windows andswitching off electrical items, is essential. Studies show that 50% of energy reductions canbe achieved through behavioural change.
i)

Non Domestic Buildings (Council Property Estate)

Due to extensive proactive work, significant progress has been made in reducing ouremissions, particularly since 2012-13 - see figure 18 below. Despite increasing the numberof Council operated buildings, we have reduced our emissions by 17%, since 2012.

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Figure 18 Annual CO2 Emissions From Non-Domestic Council Buildings
25,000,000
20,000,000
Electricity CO2

15,000,000

Gas CO2
10,000,000

Oil CO2

5,000,000

Biomass CO2

1990/91
1992/93
1994/95
1996/97
1998/99
2000/01
2002/03
2004/05
2006/07
2008/092010/112012/132014/15
2016/172018/190

Total CO2

Council carbon emissions from non-domestic buildings are currently 12,334 tonnes CO2e
per annum. To achieve the Scottish Government 75% reduction target by 2030, will require
the Council to reduce its emissions for all non-domestic buildings over the next 10 years to alevel of 4,396 tCO2e. This equates to an annual reduction of around 725 tCO2e each year which is the combined current annual carbon emissions for Pullar House and 2 High Street
buildings.
b)

What Are We Doing Now?

ii)

Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES)LHEES allow for the development of a long- term (15 -20 year) area-based delivery plansetting out approaches to reducing emissions from buildings and tackling fuel poverty, byidentifying area-based solutions, as well as identifying zones suitable for the development ofheat networks. LHEES is intended to form the basis for our planning and delivery of local
energy systems, by identifying the technologies needed. The development by Councils of
LHEES are set to become mandatory across Scotland.
Following on from the completion of the phase 1 LHEES pilot project in the Perth North area,
we are carrying out additional project work alongside a number of other Councils. This work
is expected to consider both how LHEES might be implemented at a practical level using astandardised approach, and the likely resources required to undertake a detailed LHEES.
We have held discussions with SSE about exploring possible options for a heat/power
network in the Perth North area, encompassing a range of Council buildings as well as the
SSE Headquarters at Inveralmond. This work is currently being considered in the context of
the Perth City Route map project and will consider initial feasibility of low carbon energy
solutions in this area of the City.
Our LHEES pilot work has so far focussed on urban settings. We will also need to consider
how to tackle local heat and energy efficiency issues in rural communities, particularly areasof fuel poverty.
The experience of the pilot project has shown that we will need additional resources todeliver the formal roll-out of LHEES, including broad involvement of Council services, and a
programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. We will be looking for further
funding support for the roll- out of LHEES, from the Scottish Government. (Action B1 –Appendix 2)

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iii)

Domestic Properties (all tenures)

For all domestic buildings the focus is:
1. Ensuring the buildings are energy efficient, minimising our requirements for spaceheating, by ensuring a high standard of insulation
2. Ensuring the equipment, we use within our buildings is energy efficient i.e. energy
efficient appliances and light bulbs
3. Changing our behaviour in the way we use our buildings, with an increased
understanding of how energy is used i.e. smart meters, turning down thermostats
and switching off lights
There is limited publicly available detailed information on emissions and energy use at anindividual household level. Therefore, we are taking a strategic approach towards heat andenergy transformation in the area. This includes development of a Local Energy Map which
will assist in targeting areas of highest need and planning for energy demand reduction,
decarbonisation of buildings and fuel poverty alleviation
Figure 19 – Example of Heat Map estimate of likely heat demand and demand density.

The Council works in partnership with Scarf to deliver the Home Energy Advice Team(HEAT) service to residents across all housing sectors in our area. This service offers free
and impartial advice on any aspect of domestic energy efficiency and fuel poverty alleviation,and is therefore an important service for households in meeting Government targets forcarbon reduction. Scarf have trained energy advisors who offer free energy saving advice toresidents of all tenures throughout Perth & Kinross. This also supports those at risk of fuelpoverty
Our Home Energy Guide is published annually and is designed to provide information forboth tenants and homeowners.
We have obtained grant funding through various schemes to assist and encourage homeowners to retrospectively fit additional or upgraded energy efficiency measures. These
grants include: The Scottish Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland(HEEPS) The Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
28 | P a g e The Warm Homes Fund (WHF) obtained through a consortium funding bid alongwith SSE and Moray Council
 The Warm Homes Discount Industry Initiative (through SSE)
Case Study – Housing
Following completion of the Warm Homes Scotland survey, it was confirmed that a household
was eligible for a new condensing gas boiler; room thermostat; loft insulation; smoke alarms;
central heat pipe enclosure; hot water tank jackets; and a carbon monoxide detector. The
measures were installed in July 2018 and the resident was delighted with the outcome.
By contacting the HEAT service, the household saved £5,625 on the cost of
the energy efficiency equipment and a potential lifetime fuel bill saving estimated at £14, 000.

iv)

Council Houses (7,600 homes)

We have continued to improve the energy performance of our Council Housing stock.
Compliance with the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) has improved
from 73% in 2015 to 82% in 2019. The average level of EESSH compliance for Scottish
Local Authority housing stock in 2019 is 81%. The improvements to our domestic housing
estate, including : Whole Building Insulation – fitting additional insulation in lofts, to pipes &storage tanks, under floors and to exterior walls fitting double or triple glazed
windows along with insulated exterior doors
 Heating and Lighting - fitting high efficiency heating systems with thermostatic
controls, programmers and building management systems, along with low energy
lighting and controls in common areas. We have also enclosed many open
common areas, which helps to reduce heat loss Renewable Technologies – fitting air and ground source heat pump heating
installations or supplementary energy efficiency measures, such as solar water
heating and solar photovoltaic panelsv)

Non domestic buildings (Council Property Estate)

Electricity consumption in Council buildings grew steadily to a peak of 23 million kilowatts in2012/13, due to the increase in the size of the Council`s property estate, along with theadditional equipment requirements. However, consumption has steadily decreased by 17%,
to 19 million kWh in 2018/19, due to investment in low energy technology, goodhousekeeping, and raising energy awareness.
The CO2 emissions from electricity consumption in Council buildings has followed a similar
pattern, but with an even sharper reduction since 2012/13, due to the Council’s energy
saving measures, and greater use of renewable electricity generation in the national grid.
Fossil fuel (gas and oil) consumption for heating and hot water has been reduced by 30%
from 2012/13 levels due to the upgrading of the Building Management Systems (BMS),
improved heating controls, fixed heating periods, target temperatures and increased energy
awareness, along with the installation of biomass boilers.
vi)

Decarbonisation

The Council has established twelve sites with biomass boilers, providing heat for buildings,
leading to emissions reduction, as biomass is classed as a carbon neutral fuel.

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We currently have three non-domestic buildings with Ground Source/Air source heat pumps
as the primary heat source. Future works will see the installation of heat pumps being
incorporated across the wider estate. We have twelve building- mounted photovoltaic
systems (solar panels) generating 172,501kWh of renewable self-generated electricity
annually.
Figure 20 shows that our work to decarbonise our energy requirements continues throughthe introduction of more renewable generation and battery technology.
Figure 20

We are carrying out a range other actions to reduce energy consumption:
 Modelling our existing building portfolio to identify improvements required for
improving Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) levels and reducing energy
consumption.
 Improving whole building insulation in our properties, including; loft, cavity wall,under floor, and plant room pipework and valve insulation.
 Replacing inefficient heating and hot water systems with renewable technology
and assisted controls
 Investment in Building Management Systems. In 2014 we remotely controlled 62
buildings. This is now over 76 sites
 Remotely monitor the energy production in our renewable technologies(including; Photovoltaics (solar panels), heat pumps, solar thermal and biomass)
 Development of energy analytics tools to highlight energy consumption problems
in our buildings, within 24 hours.
 Securing grant funding from government Salix (a fund for energy efficiency
projects) for lighting and heating controls projects
 Raising energy awareness through school visits with class talks, switch off
campaigns, and energy audits, with information shared with staff in charge of thebuildings.

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Case Study - Property - Madderty Primary School
Madderty Primary school had an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) level G, with thepotential to meet level B. The buildings actual energy performance was very poor due to it
being heated by an inefficient electric storage system and the site having poor insulation.
The building had two cylinders for hot water which operated 24 hours per day,7 days per
week.
The building was modelled using energy software which identified areas to reduce energy
consumption. In 2018 wall insulation was improved.
In 2019 a new Air Source Hand Pump (ASHP) heating system was installed. Classrooms andstaff areas are now heated by radiators and fan convectors. Hot water is now provided by
one cylinder primary heated by the ASHP. The system has room by room control and amaster programmer managed remotely by the Council. Solar film was installed to reduceheat build-up in the south facing conservatory during summer months.
The building has now achieved an EPC level B and is saving more than 70% in electricity
consumption and reduced carbon emissions, by 31tonnes of CO2e per year.
c)What’s Next?

i)

All Buildings

Future actions within both domestic and non-domestic buildings will be involve difficult
decisions, and a significant amount of investment, and partnership working, to achieve
climate change targets, such as a 75% reduction in emissions from buildings by 2030 andthe requirement for Council’s domestic properties gaining EPC level of B or above by 2032.
(Action SA5 – Appendix 2)
ii)

Council Housing (7636 homes)

All new Council Houses currently under construction and future build programmes will be
constructed to the EPC B level as a minimum. We will develop a programme to ensure all
existing Council houses are brought up to EPC B by 2032 (Action B2 – Appendix 2)
We will investigate the potential to deliver an exemplar project potentially to Passive House
standard incorporating other sustainability measures, including exploring avenues of funding
for an exemplar pilot project. (Action B3 – Appendix 2). We will develop a suite of measures
to assist out tenants to meet the challenges of climate change mitigation. (Action B4 –Appendix 2)iii)

Housing Association Dwellings (4,000 homes)

We will work with local Housing Associations to maximise the number of social rented
homes achieving EPC B by 2032. (Action B5 – Appendix 2)
iv)

Private rented Housing (12,000 homes)

Across Scotland, the energy performance of the private rented sector is considered to lag
behind all other sectors, although this is based on relatively limited data. It is expected that
this national position is reflected in Perth & Kinross. Indications suggest that the
responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the EPC minimum requirements will rest with theCouncil as the Private Landlord Registration Authority, although this is not set out inlegislation as yet.
Most private landlords in Perth & Kinross have only one property for rent and withapproximately 6,800 active private landlords, regulating and supporting this sector
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represents a significant task for the Council, particularly as the first target date is 2022. Our
Private Sector Access Team will raise awareness in the private rented sector, giving private
landlords adequate warning of the impending EPC targets and directing them to thetechnical advice required to allow them to upgrade their properties where required. (Action
B6 – Appendix 2)
A significant proportion of private rented properties are in Perth city and town centres, often
in tenements or other forms of multiple ownership. This can present challenges to upgrading
the fabric of the building to achieve the required EPC rating, when not all owners are willing
to upgrade. The Council has experience in facilitating upgrades in multi ownership blocks,
and will look to assist and advise private landlords. It is likely however that the amount ofwork generated may exceed the capacity of the current team, and we will need to assess thepotential additional demands for this service, and how this could be supported. (Action B7 –Appendix 2)v)

Private Housing Sector (45,000 homes)

By far the largest housing sector is private houses and flats. This sector has the least
stringent targets, with all homes requiring to be EPC C level by 2040. Regardless of how this
sector is regulated we must lead by example, help our residents prepare for the deadlines
for compliance, and direct them to trusted sources of advice on required measures andfunding options.
Our Home Energy Advice service reaches a few hundred households per year, and at thecurrent rate of engagement, it would be well beyond 2045 before every household has been
contacted. Whilst the Council does not have a statutory duty to provide an advice service, toreach overall climate change targets, we need to support homeowners meet their EPC
obligations. One potential option is the provision of local and trusted one-stop-shops forenergy efficient advice.
The Heat pilot project in Blairgowrie, funded by the Scottish Government, is an excellent
example of a local available and trusted source of advice. We will discuss with partnerorganisations, the third sector and our communities, the best means of providing energy
efficiency advice for the private housing sector with the aim of rolling out a programme from
April 2021. (Action B8 – Appendix 2)
Fuel poverty occurs in all housing tenures, and the Scottish Government has set a target
that, all homes with households in fuel poverty to reach EPC C by 2030 and EPC B by 2040
(where technically feasible and cost effective). Whilst measures are in place to address thisissue across the rented sector, the scale of the problem amongst the private sector requires
to be quantified at a local level. We will seek clarity from the Scottish Government over how
the upgrading of private sector houses in fuel poverty will be funded. In the first instancefurther research is required to assess the scale of the problem, with an action plan to be
developed. (Action B9 – Appendix 2)vi)

Council property portfolio (non domestic)

We will create the Perth Smart Energy Network (SEN) which aims to reduce the Council’s
energy costs, carbon emissions and develop new income streams for the Council. The aim
for this network is to generate renewable energy, store that energy and trade it around thePerth smart energy network to optimise its use and maximise its value. (Action SA6 –Appendix 2)
We will develop a suite of energy efficiency and decarbonisation measures to improve our
non-domestic property portfolio. (Action B10 to B25 – Appendix 2)

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6Mitigation – Waste

Why This is Importanta)

As part 1 of the report highlighted (Figure 12), waste accounts for around 56% of theCouncil’s reported CO2 emissions. The main source of these emissions is from thedecomposition of biodegrading organic materials in landfill sites, as well as emissions fromhaulage, and processing of waste materials.
Waste minimisation and sustainable waste management are essential in fighting climatechange. The Zero Waste Scotland 2018 Household Carbon Metric Brief stated that somematerials have a very high carbon impact so, to maximise the climate change benefit, thesecarbon intensive waste materials should be our priority. The three most carbon intensive
household waste materials in 2018 were identified as:•••

TextilesAnimal & mixed food waste
Plastics waste

Waste can be managed sustainably through reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling;
improving resource efficiency and helping to work towards a circular economy (where wereuse materials, rather than taking the traditional approach of making items, using them andthrowing them away).
The 5 main Scottish Government targets to reduce waste generation and increase recycling
rates in Scotland are:
1. The ban on biodegradable municipal waste to landfill from 2025
2. Reducing the weight of waste arisings in Scotland by 15% below 2011 levels, by
2025
3. Reducing, per capita, food waste arisings in Scotland by 33% below 2013 levels by
2025
4. Achieving a 70% recycling rate for all waste by 2025
5. Achieving a maximum landfill rate of 5% by 2025
We are taking actions to address these targets. Over the last 10 years, the average levels ofgeneral waste collected weekly from households in Perth & Kinross has decreased by 45%.
In September 2019 this was 4.49kg per household, compared to March 2013 when it was
8.3kg per household.
The Council currently recycles 51.7% of household waste (as at 2018) and our equivalent
2018 carbon emissions are 140,239 TCO2e (source: SEPA). These emissions havedecreased from 209, 000 TCO2e in 2011 - a reduction of 33%. This has been due to theCouncil`s proactive approach to waste recycling, composting and minimisation, education
and awareness with the public, and service changes such as the reduction in size of thegeneral waste bins available to households.
b)What Are We Doing Now?

Our Waste Management Plan sets out the way forward for the Council to meet national
recycling and composting targets, as well as developing initiatives to control waste growth;and promoting the circular economy.

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The Waste Services Team continues to promote recycling services, and recycling facilities
available in communities to maintain participation and improve the quantity and quality ofrecyclates, thus supporting the circular economy.
Our waste education and awareness programmes support householders, schools,
businesses and community groups to Reduce, Reuse andRecycle. This work supports the Curriculum for Excellence
and the Eco-Schools Programme.
Zero Waste Perth is a partnership formed between
Beautiful Perth, Perth & Kinross Council and Perth College
UHI to inspire householders, businesses, schools andcommunity groups to reduce waste. The campaign aims
reduce food waste, encourage reuse & repair, promote
recycling and resource efficiency, and facilitate circular
economy opportunities. Since November 2017, 90 separate
events have been held, to support embedding sustainable
practices in our communities
The Waste Services Team promotes national campaigns such as reducing food waste.
Food waste contributes to one third of the average general waste bin and much of this foodwaste is avoidable.
c)What`s Next?

We aim to reduce the use of single-use items on Council premises. In order to understandthe scale of use, a survey of staff and an information gathering exercise of the amounts ofeach single-use item purchased, have been carried out, and actions to encourage behaviourchange by introducing reusable alternatives have been identified (Action W1 – Appendix 2).
From the end of January 2020 we will provide more convenient access to recycling facilities
for residents in Perth City Centre, enabling more recyclable waste to be diverted fromlandfill.
Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is part of the Scottish Government’s plan todevelop a circular economy, by encouraging people to recycle their drinks containers
through charging a deposit for the bottle or can which the drink comes in. We will keepthese national developments under review to ensure they are introduced effectively in Perth& Kinross (Action W2 – Appendix 2)
We are investigating a new twin-stream recycling collection system where paper andcardboard are collected in the blue bin and metals, plastics and cartons are collected forrecycling in a fourth kerbside bin. This should result in higher quality post-consumer
recycling, which will support the circular economy. This project will be influenced by the
introduction of the DRS plans across Scotland.
We are working with Zero Waste Perth and a local social enterprise, to establish a foodsharing network in Perth city. Plans for this include a network of community fridges andcommunity cafes, which have potential to divert huge quantities of surplus, edible food fromfood shops and food businesses to people who need it instead of it being disposed of.
(Action W3 – Appendix 2).

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We will look to use the new development at Bertha Park, as a best practice case study forhouseholders reducing waste. This involves more extensive mini-recycling points withinwalking distance of homes, which capture batteries, lightbulbs, glass bottles and jars plus
textiles and shoes. Also, food waste reduction will be promoted extensively in thiscommunity, ahead of the national target for 33% reduction in food waste by 2025.

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7a)Mitigation – Land Use

Why This is Important

Land is an essential resource to tackle climate change. In a changing climate, our trees andwoodland will capture and store carbon, reduce the impacts of flooding, provide habitat for
displaced species, and provide shade in a warming climate. An important factor in theeffective functioning of our land is biodiversity and preserving a healthy ecosystem. The
current approach to land use both across Scotland and the rest of the UK threatens
biodiversity and the functions of our land itself, weakening our opportunities to mitigate andadapt to climate change.
Changing our approach to land use is therefore crucial in ensuring that we are prepared forthe warming climate and its consequences to both human life and natural environment. One
way of achieving this is peatland restoration. Currently, 80% of peatland habitats are
estimated to be damaged. Restoration is therefore key to locking-in carbon and helping tocounteract climate change. Restoring all of the currently known area of bare peat in Scotland
would save the equivalent emissions produced by 755,000 flights between Edinburgh andLondon every year.
Restoring an area of bare peat equivalent to the size of five football pitches in the South Inch
Park, would save 95 tonnes of CO2 every year. This is the same as the emissions produced
by 1,131 car journeys between Edinburgh and John O’Groats.
b)

What Are We Doing Now?

i)

Land Use Planning

The need to address the cause and effects of climate change and the drive to help meetnational targets is a common thread across the policy topics within the Council’s land use
planning policy framework. This suite of strategies and policy documents reflect the Scottish
Government’s targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.
They include specific objectives, actions, policies and criteria to guide decision-making toensure land use development incorporates climate change mitigation measures.
ii)

Other actions

We are also working with partners such as Scottish Forestry and private forestry companies
to achieve the Scottish Government’s woodland creation targets of 12,000 hectares
annually. We are supporting and promoting sustainable forest management and planting theright type of woodland in the right place, to enhance the landscape and biodiversity of Perthand Kinross, as well as enhancing carbon capture and storage.
In Perth and Kinross, 1,713 hectares of private woodland has been planted with the grant aid
assistance, since 2015. An additional 3,798 hectares have been approved under the same
grant aid since 2015 but have not been planted, yet. These measures are vital to ensure ourwildlife can adapt and move to other areas due to the changing climate.
In our school grounds, we are working with partners to plant trees to reduce the carbon
footprint. At Perth Grammar School, pupils have researched what native species of trees
would be best placed around the school grounds to offer attractive areas for outdoor
learning, relaxing and to store carbon and improve the air quality of the area. (Action L2 –Appendix 2)

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iii)

Agricultural Technology

Our area has long since been regarded as a world-leader in premium agricultural andhorticultural produce including soft fruit, cereals and potatoes. It boasts world leading
developments in agricultural, plant and crop science, which all will be impacted by climatechange. At the heart of these developments is the James Hutton Institute (JHI) at
Invergowrie. JHI has taken a leading role on the global stage in addressing the need toenhance agriculture technology including soil assessment and management.
At the forefront of these plans, and supported by the Tay Cities Deal, are two ambitious
projects: the International Barley Hub (IBH) and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC).
The IBH aims to be a global centre of excellence as future barley supply is increasingly
uncertain, due to the implications of climate change, developing worldwide demand, evolving
pest and disease risks and agronomic pressures. It will ensure the long-term sustainability of
the UK’s leading agriculture, brewing and distilling sectors. The APGC aims to provide
innovative research and development around both crops grown under cover, and postharvest storage facilities. The ambition is to reduce the cycle for crop development by up to
50% and to deliver the plant varieties required to protect the UK food and drink sector fromthe impact of climate change, and the risks posed by the global food supply chain.
iv)

Biodiversity

Biodiversity – “nature” to most people –will be affected by a changing climate and somespecies will require different conditions in future. Enhancing biodiversity by protecting andrestoring ecosystems can help us reduce the extent of climate change and cope with its
impacts. For example planting trees along rivers and burns will create shade to reduce hightemperatures, reduce erosion, reduce flooding downstream and the falling leaves will
increase the number of aquatic insects.
We are committed to delivering the actions of the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan
2016-26, supporting and working with the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership to safeguard ourhabitats and species. Protecting and restoring peatlands, woodlands and other habitats willstore carbon and deliver multiple benefits for biodiversity and our health and wellbeing.
Through the the development management process for planning applications we canconnect natural areas, using green infrastructure, and deliver active travel routes, anddiverse habitat, for a range of species in a changing climate.
c)What’s next?

The Council is developing a Food Growing Strategy which responds to the Government’s
vision to become “a Good Food Nation”. This aims to improve the provision of community
growing spaces across Perth and Kinross and help communities lead more sustainable
lifestyles. Besides their social and health benefits, community growing spaces also
contribute to mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change through carbon
reduction and sustainable design. By providing access to locally grown food, they reducecarbon emission associated with food miles and packaging.
The strategy will explore opportunities for skills development in composting, cooking andpreserving seasonal produce, which alongside the work of Zero Waste Perth, will help
reduce food waste. As part of this initiative, allotments, orchards and community gardens
can also improve biodiversity. When linked with other greenspaces, they create important
green corridors for wildlife and contribute to sustainable water management. (Action L8 –Appendix 2)

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We will examine a range of actions to enhance the carbon capture potential of forestry andpeatland restoration, both using Council land assets, and also with other land managers. We
will also work with communities to promote woodland planting. (Action L3 to L7 – Appendix
2)
We will work with local communities and the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership to develop
biodiversity action plans, supporting both biodiversity and climate change mitigation in local
areas (Biodiversity Villages Project). (Action L9, L10 & L11 – Appendix 2)Agriculture is considered as one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Although not under our direct control, we will look to influence agriculture practices andpromote more sustainable farming practices. In conjunction with changes in consumer
behaviours, this can reduce emissions arising from agriculture. This will be carried out by
promoting healthy and local eating, through the adaptation of direct measures such as thedevelopment of our Food Growing Strategy. Awareness-raising is also crucial in changing
practices. Sustainable farming practices and consumer behaviours will be promoted throughour public engagement sessions. (Action L8 – Appendix 2)
When investigating ways of reducing flood risk, natural flood management techniques canpotentially slow the flow of floodwater and increase the amount of time it takes rain to reachwatercourses. As a result of river surveys, work was carried out as part of the investigations
for the Comrie Flood Protection Scheme. We are now working with landowners in the upper
catchment of Glen Artney to explore restoring an area of peatland that was drained in the
1980s. Currently the peatland is releasing carbon in the atmosphere. Using funding from the
Scottish Natural Heritage fund, Peatland Action, peatland can be restored to hold water toreduce flooding risks and store significant amounts of carbon. (Actions L12– Appendix 2)

Case Study: Blairgowrie Climate Café
Community Woodland for Carbon Capture
The Community is leading a partnership with the local landowner to plant community woodlandon 10 hectares of land with grant aid provided for Scottish Forestry. 1,500 trees will be planted by
local volunteers and householders each year and by year 10, 15,000 trees will be planted tocapture approximately 200 tonnes of carbon. The site will be selected to maximise additional
ecological benefits such as creating a habitat corridor and reducing water run-off and erosion.
Householders will have the option to plant additional shrubs between the trees such as hazel thatwill create even more wildlife habitat and food sources.
Community sustainability starts at home as shown here by Blairgowrie.

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8a)Mitigation – Business andIndustry

Why This is Important

Perth and Kinross economy has more than 7,000 businesses employing more than 56,000
people.
As the main sources of carbon emissions in Perth and Kinross are transport, energy supply,and industrial processes, our business community has a key role to play in emission
reduction. Agriculture and related land use is also a contributor of carbon emissions (8% inPerth and Kinross).
Individual businesses can reduce their carbon emissions and make their business moresustainable by reducing water and energy use; reducing waste including packaging,
reducing fuel used, road and air miles; improving transport efficiency; encouraging
employees to change behaviours and culture; redesigning processes, products and services,value chains; and increasing use of local supply chains.
For transport emissions, businesses are contributing to both commuter and transient traffic.
A transport ‘heat map’ for light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles in Perth & Kinross(see Figure 21) demonstrates the relatively high volumes of traffic movements from the rural
areas to Perth city which highlights an opportunity to reduce these miles through sharedlogistics and ‘final-mile’ deliveries. We will investigate with regional transport partners how
many of these journeys could be offset or reduced, by consolidating journeys using low
carbon vehicles. (Action SA8 – Appendix 2)
Figure 21

39 | P a g eb)What Are We Doing Now?

The Council is working with agencies and industry to develop flagship projects to support
clean growth and achieve net zero carbon emissions. (Actions SA9 – Appendix 2) These
initiatives are supported through the Tay Cities Deal and the Regional Economic Strategy:---

Perth West national Eco-innovation Business Park and Perth Innovation Highway
including logistics and last mile delivery
Binn Eco-Park, an innovative resource management site where new technologies areco-located to support a circular economy. Project Beacon, a flagship plastic recycling
project will be developed on site aiming at recycling 80-90% of plastics and will
benefit from £5.2m from Tay Cities Deal.
Broxden Low Carbon Transport Hub will offer innovative clustering of EV charging
facilities, energy storage and solar energy production.
Food and Drink Innovation at James Hutton Institute will focus on supporting agritech including new ways of using barley and vertical farming.
A Tourism Action Plan for Perthshire is currently in development. It will be
underpinned by a strong sustainability message in recognition of emerging trends
and following industry feedback, and with the ambition to develop further Perthshire’s
green destination credentials.
A Circular Economy Tayside Action Plan has been developed with key sectoral
actions in partnership with Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and other regional
partners

We work with individual businesses to access support from agencies (Business Gateway,
Scottish Enterprise, Zero Waste Scotland) to help them to become more sustainable.
Resource Efficient Scotland http://www.resourceefficientscotland.com/ is offering free advice
and support service to help small and medium sized businesses to become more resource
efficient, cutting energy and water use and reducing waste. We will look at what more
support we can offer (Action I1 - Appendix 2)
The Green Tourism Business Scheme (www.green-tourism.com) is the national
accreditation programme which assesses the efforts of businesses to adopt moresustainable practices. The award categories are internationally acknowledged as indicatorsof good environmental practice. In Perth & Kinross there are currently 63 businesses withthis award - amongst the highest for a Scottish local authority area.
4

What`s Next?

Perth & Kinross Council is a Scottish Council for the Development Industry (SCDI) sponsor
partner in the Clean Growth Leadership Group. The Group aims to explore economic
opportunities arising from clean growth and how businesses can grow by meeting the net
zero carbon challenge. There are many business and job creation opportunities from thedevelopment of new products or services to address climate change. For example, ruralbusinesses could generate their own energy through renewable micro-generation, use it orcontribute to local decentralised energy scheme. The Group plans to report in Spring 2020,
and we will explore opportunities arising from this group, as well as other opportunities fromclean growth. (Action SA9 – Appendix 2).
Procurement processes can influence businesses and stimulate actions in relation to climatechange. Working with the Tayside Procurement Consortium, the Council has a sustainable
Procurement Policy. We will review our procurement approach, to ensure we are maximising
our influence around climate change, as more national targets are introduced, and newtechnologies evolve (Action SA10 – Appendix 2).

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The local business supply chain does not always the capacity or skills to meet the Council’s
requirements. There is a skills gap in relation to renewable energy technologies and energy
efficient construction methods such as Passivhaus. We will work with local businesses to
identify current and emerging skills gaps, to be prepared for the opportunities for businessfrom climate change (Action I2 – Appendix 2)
Carbon emission reduction in transport and energy will have a significant impact we will
carry out further work with the private sector on transformational actions to achievingcarbon reduction targets for the area. (Action I3 – Appendix 2)

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9Climate Change Adaptationa)

Why This is Important?

i)

Our Climate Change

The likely long-term climate change trends for Scotland include hotter and drier summers,wetter winters and increased sea levels. We may also experience extreme weather events
such as drought and increased frequency of summer heatwaves, due to rising temperatures.
These changes are already impacting people, places and biodiversity across Scotland Figure 22 portrays higher average temperature and rainfall levels from 1910 to 2010.
Scotland’s climate is changing and we need to act.
Figure 22 Climate Trends for Rainfall and Temperature

Source: Adaptation Scotlandii)

What is adaptation?

Adaptation is about responding to the changes that we have seen in our climate.
Adjustments could include making changes to our buildings so they keep cool during hotter
summers, or are less at risk of being flooded during wet periods. Adaptation Scotland has
produced infographics explaining how we can change our environments to be more
adaptable to climate change and weather fluctuations – click here.
Despite adaptation going hand in hand with work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
adapting to the changing climate will be necessary regardless of how much we manage to
cut our carbon emissions. This is because historic emissions have already changed our
climate and will continue to do so, creating new challenges for us to overcome.
The two aspects of adaptation are:a.
b.

adapting to present climate and weather; andmaking changes based on future projected changes in the climate.

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iii)

Why adapt?

We therefore need to take early action to adapt, increase our resilience and reduce risks.
Early adaptation actions can contribute towards the enhancement of both our natural andbuilt environment, and to raise the quality of life of people within Perth and Kinross.
We also need to adapt in order to support biodiversity. By taking actions like introducing
natural water management measures, which inevitably increase biodiversity habitats, we
also help wildlife to adapt, too.
b)

What Are We Doing Now?

i)

Flooding

The most evident and frequent sign of extreme weather in Perth and Kinross is flooding, withseveral communities having experienced the devastating impact of flooding in recent years.
To respond to this challenge, we have taken the following actions:
•
•

•

•

In June 2016 the Council published its first local flood risk management plans settingout a range of actions it will be taking along with other responsible authorities tomanage and, where achievable, reduce flood risk.
Flood protection schemes had already been implemented in Perth, Comrie, Weem,
Bridge of Earn and Milnathort. A new scheme at Almondbank has recently been
completed, and the Council is promoting new flood protection schemes in Comrie,
Milnathort, Kinross and Scone.
In October 2019, Committee approval was given to develop flood protection schemes
for Pitlochry and Aberfeldy. Further flood studies are on-going for Perth andBlackford and will shortly commence for Dunkeld and Invergowrie, with other areas tofollow.
The Council promotes the use of property flood protection products by privatehouseholders in co-operation with the Housing Service and businesses. Information
is available on the Council’s website and is made available to the public at
community events.
Almondbank Flood Protection Schemeii)

Climate Change Adaptation in Council Policy

Climate Change adaptation is embedded within current Council policies and a number ofprojects across Perth and Kinross. Adaptation is part of both the Strategic Development Plan
(TAYplan) and Local Development Plan, along with the associated statutory guidance.
43 | P a g eMany policy measures are in place for assessing risk, including supplementary planningguidance for: Flood Risk and Flood Risk Assessments; Forest & Woodland Strategy; Zero
Carbon and Sustainable Construction; Green Infrastructure and Zero Waste.
All relevant Council plans, programmes and strategies continue to undergo screening for
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assess their environmental impact (including
climate change adaptation risk and opportunities).
iii)

Adaptation Assessment

We have recently undertaken an adaptation assessment, using Adaptation Scotland’s
benchmarking tool. This has allowed us to track our progress in relation to adaptation
measures while also identifying gaps and potential areas for future progress.
iv)

Resilience

We engage closely with many rural communities to support local resilience, which prepares
them to be ready for extreme weather, flooding, power outages, or any other disruption tonormal activities. Participation has reached the highest level - 24 community groups now
have resilience plans in place, and tailored support has been provided to other groups toenhance their local capability.
c)What`s Next?

We need to keep climate change adaptation at the forefront of our plans, by preparing for,reducing, and as far as possible, negating future changes in our weather. This will include
taking action on flooding to reduce the vulnerability of communities, and building
infrastructure that is designed to be resilient to the more extreme weather we know iscoming. While we do need more flood defences and more resilient infrastructure, we needmost of all to work with, rather than against, nature and to build places and communities
which are naturally resilient to a changing climate.
We will develop a climate change adaptation strategy and risk assessment, taking into
account the learning from our adaptation assessment work (Action SA12 – Appendix 2).
We need to work with partners to ensure the comprehensiveness of our response toadaptation, for example working with Health and Social Care to develop actions to tackle thehealth effects of prolonged exposure to hot weather amongst vulnerable people.

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10Just Transitions

Ensuring a fairer Perth & Kinross is at the heart of theCouncil’s Corporate Plan and the Community Plan, as
we seek to promote fairness and give equal
opportunities for all. This is embodied in the Perth &Kinross Fairer Futures report, the Tay Cities Deal
Report and more recently, the Council’s Child Poverty
Action Plan.
The impacts of climate change will affect us all, however
the most severe impacts are likely to be felt by people
experiencing greater risks of poverty and disadvantage,
and this gives us a further incentive to take urgent
action.
The transition to a zero carbon Perth & Kinross can have a wide range of impacts onfairness and equality. This is summarised in figure 23.
Figure 23 Human dimensions of the just transition

We have to ensure that in making this shift, we create a net zero economy that is fair for all,minimises potential for inequalities, and maximises the opportunities for all.
The move to zero carbon will involve difficult choices. It is vital that engagement with ourcommunities will help determine the priorities. Part of our responsibility in developing our
engagement plans, is to ensure as wide a representation as possible is involved in shaping
our zero carbon future.
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We need to guard against initiatives which, although designed to mitigate climate change,
may disproportionately impact on vulnerable groups. For example, raising city centre car
parking charges could act as a lever to encourage more sustainable travel, but that may also
act as a barrier to lower income families, who may live in rural locations, with no access topublic transport.
Our climate change actions provide an opportunity to take positive action towards fairness.
For example, 30% of households in Perth & Kinross currently experience fuel poverty, andthe Scottish Government has set ambitious targets to reduce fuel poverty (see part 1 c) of
this report. Improved domestic insulation, renewable energy sources and district heat
systems can confer the dual benefits of addressing climate change and tackling fuel poverty.
The importance of Just Transition principles have recently been recognised throughinclusion in the new Scottish Climate Change Act.
A Scottish Just Transition Commission has recently been set up to give advice to Scottish
Ministers on practical, realistic and affordable recommendations for action, and we will takeguidance from their findings. However, in the interim, we should ensure that the actions wetake on climate change mitigation and adaptation are fair for all, minimise potential forinequalities, and maximise economic and social advantages (Action JT1 – Appendix 2).

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11

a)

Working Together to Tackle
Climate Change

Introduction

Successfully taking on this challenge will require everyone - the Council, our partners andour communities - to work closely together. Working together occurs at different levels, withdifferent approaches, but we need to be aware about how our activities all fit together, so weknow how we can best contribute to this challenge, and avoid duplication or gaps in our
activities.
This part of the report explains how we are currently organised, and suggests how we canbe better organised, and work better together, in three areas:
•
•
•
b)

The Council
The Community Planning Partnership of local public services
Other important partnerships
The Council

Figure 24 set out how the Council is organised to deliver on its climate change
responsibilities.
Currently, leadership in the Council for many aspects of climate change sits with theEnvironment and Infrastructure Committee, which has responsibility for Land Use Planning,
Public Transport Roads and Traffic, Parks and Open Spaces, Flood Risk Management,
Waste Management Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy. With theincreasing significance of climate change to all activities of the Council, we will review themost appropriate future Committee governance and reporting arrangements for the climatechange agenda (Action WT1 – Appendix 2).
Figure 24 – Reporting and Governance for Climate Change

47 | P a g eA cross-service Low Carbon Working Group was established in 2016. The group has a wide
agenda including: heat mapping, district heating, renewables and the development of a
Perth and Kinross wide Energy/Low Carbon Strategy.
In September 2017, Committee agreed to the establishment of a cross-service project Board
to develop and co-ordinate a framework to ensure the alignment of all relevant plans,
programmes and policies relating to climate change, low carbon, energy planning, air quality,transport planning and land use planning. This Board is the officer level forum for delivering
the Council’s climate change activities, with the Depute Chief Executive as Executive
Sponsor.
Individual Council Services contribute to the climate change agenda through their Business
Management and Improvement Plans (BMIPs), which set out how each Service supports theaims of the Community and Corporate Plans.
c)Community Planning Partnership

The Perth and Kinross Community Plan sets out the shared approach between the main
public services in Perth & Kinross area. The Plan recognises that climate change is a multiissue, interconnected subject, which has connections and implications across all five
strategic objectives.
Since 2018, the Community Planning Partnership`s Environment and Public Realm Outcome
Delivery Group, has taken the lead on climate change. This group has representation from
Perth & Kinross Council, PKAVS, SEPA, NHS Tayside, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire andRescue Service, Forestry Commission and SNH. In September 2019, the Community
Planning Partnership Board identified climate change as a major issue that should beconsidered directly by the Board.
The need to create a step change in our approach to climate change is something thatshould be echoed amongst the Community Planning Partnership, as collectively we impact
on emissions locally, and are key influencers of behaviours amongst our employees, as wellas individuals and organisations that we engage with. We need to work with our Community
Planning partners to ensure that we are collectively meeting the targets set for each of ourorganisations, and that we are sharing good practice, and learning from each other (Action
WT2 – Appendix 2).
d)Other Important Partnerships

Throughout this report we have highlighted a wide range of partnerships we are engaged in
to tackle climate change. Our partnership work ranges from national groups such as CoSLA,
the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and the Scottish Cities Alliance, through tolocal climate change action groups. We are mapping the partnerships which we are involved
in, to ensure there are no overlaps, and to identify gaps.
We will also work with the Council’s Arms Length Organisations (Horsecross, Live Active
Leisure and Culture Perth and Kinross) to ensure they meet their climate change obligations
and maximise available opportunities. We collectively work with our neighbouring local
authorities on several climate related issues, such as transport planning and land use
planning, and we are keen to expand on this work.

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One key area for future development at this stage relates to research and technology
development. Climate change will require innovative approaches with leading edge
technology, and we have an opportunity to develop links with local universities, including
Perth College UHI, as well as other Tayside Universities and beyond, to give the Council
access best practice in this area (Action WT3 – Appendix 2).

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12a)Measuring and Monitoring

How will we know we are making the difference?

Since 2015/16, the Council, along with other Community Planning Partners, has beenrequired under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act to annually monitor and report its climatechange progress to the Scottish Government. Previous annual reports can be found here.
The annual report provides performance information on the following:••••

Governance, Management and Strategy
Emissions, Targets and Projects
Adaptation
Procurement.

We recognise that this reporting format does not fulfil all our data requirements to build acomprehensive picture of climate change in Perth & Kinross, which would in turn inform ourpriority actions, and help establish realistic targets. We will carry out a gap analysis to
identify and fill out information requirements. (Action M1 – Appendix 2).
Monitoring of our progress and performance will be an essential part of our governance. We
recommend reporting on our progress on an annual basis to the full Council, to give Elected
Members the opportunity to challenge, scrutinise and support our work. (Action M2 –Appendix 2).
As part of the shared Perth & Kinross’ wide approach to tackling climate change, we will also
look to share data, and report on progress and performance information, within the proposed
Climate Change Commission (Action M3 – Appendix 2).

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13Conclusions

Climate change will have a major impact on everyone in Perth & Kinross.
We acknowledge the need for urgent action, and this report sets out the interim measures
we are taking, as a basis for much wider engagement with our communities and partners, onshared future climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.
Our proposed actions on climate change support many other wider benefits such as better
health; air quality improvements; fuel poverty; child poverty and sustainable economic
growth.
We recognise that there are going to be difficult decisions ahead but, by working together,
we can share our commitment to tackling climate change and protecting our area so we canpass it on, for the enjoyment of future generations.

December 201951 | P a g e

Glossary of Terms and Jargon Buster
Climate change terms can be difficult to understand especially for people with lessday to day contact with the topic. Below is a list of terms and acronyms commonly
used.
Active Travel Hub Project: is a travel hub set up as a focal point for active travel facilities
and as a hub/connecting point for cycle/walking routes, and could include, for example
private bike storage, bike hire facilities, public transport information, changing facilities, etc.
Air Quality Management Area: An area where the air quality has been assessed and thelevels of nitrogen dioxide and/or particulate matter and/or sulphur dioxide, exceed the
National Air Quality Objectives.
Carbon capture and storage: A technology that captures carbon dioxide emitted from fossil
fuel emissions.
Carbon neutrality: carbon neutrality means annual zero net anthropogenic (human caused
or influenced) CO2 emissions by a certain date. To achieve carbon neutrality every tonne ofanthropogenic CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed (e.g.
by carbon capture)
Carbon offsetting: a “carbon” offset is a unit of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) that is
reduced, avoided, or sequestered to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere. Theses
offset credits, measured in tonnes, are used as an alternative to making reductions ingreenhouse gas emissions. In some cases, organisations can buy offset credits fromprojects located in sectors or countries not legally required to reduce their emissions.
Council Fleet: The vehicles used by Perth and Kinross Council to carry out duties andactivities within our local communities. Types of vehicles may include pool cars, minibuses,
vans, side-load vans, and HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles).
Co-production: can be described as, “co-creating services, involving service recipients indifferent stages of the process, including planning, design, delivery, and audit of a public
service.” Co-production is more than just consulting or informing people about decisions. It
means including and enabling their involvement.
Circular economy: A system where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, withthe aim to extract maximum value, then to recover and regenerate products and materials at
the end of their useful life.
CO2e - is the shorthand for carbon dioxide equivalents. It is the standard unit in carbon
accounting to quantify greenhouse gas emissions, emissions reductions and carbon credits
It is expressed in tonnes and written as tCO2e
Community transport schemes: community led transport services to meet unmet local
transport needs, which operate for a social purpose and not for profit.
Corporate Travel Plan: A package of measures developed by an employer to encourage
their staff to travel to work using sustainable modes of transport; walking, cycling, public
transport or car sharing.
52 | P a g e

Cycling Walking Safer Streets: is a Scottish Government fund to allow local authorities toinvest in creating a network of safer streets, with cycle lanes and paths, which enables
people to become more active by walking, cycling and wheeling on a regular basis.
Decarbonisation: decreasing the ratio of carbon dioxide (CO2) or all greenhouse gas
emissions related to primary energy production. Full decarbonisation means zero unabated
CO2 emissions from energy generation and industrial processes (i.e. not captured by carbon
sequestration or storage).
Demand Responsive Transport (DRT): public transport which operates on demand frompassengers to pick up and drop off passengers in accordance with their needs as opposed
to a set timetabled local bus service.
Deposit Return Scheme (DRS): Deposit return schemes are used across the world as away of encouraging more people to recycle drinks containers, such as bottles and cans.
They work by charging anyone who buys a drink a small deposit for the bottle or can that itcomes in. They get this money back when they return the bottle or can to a collection point
to be recycled.
E-Bike: An electric bicycle, is a bike with an electric motor which assists when cycling, but
still needs to be manually propelled by the cyclist.
Electric Vehicle: Vehicle that uses electricity for propulsion.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO): ECO is a government backed energy efficiency
scheme to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty. It is designed to offset
emissions created by energy company power stations. The scheme is administered byOfgem and delivered by energy companies, through an obligation that is placed on them tomake homes in Britain more energy efficient and cheaper to heat. The latest version of thescheme is called ECO 3.
The current scheme has been designed to focus on providing support to low income,vulnerable and fuel poor households.
15% of measures are to be delivered to rural homes and an increased proportion of thescheme (25%) can be delivered under local authority flexible eligibility (Perth & KinrossCouncil has published a Statement of Intent which relates to ECO eligibility)
Fluorinated greenhouse gases: Fluorinated gases are man-made gases that can stay inthe atmosphere for centuries and contribute to a global greenhouse effect. There are fourtypes: hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.
Fuel poverty: a household is in fuel poverty if the fuel costs necessary for the home, aremore than 10% of the household’s net income
Greenhouse gas (GHG): Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing
infrared radiation.
Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland area based schemes (HEEPS –ABS): The Scottish Government funds local authorities to develop and deliver energy
efficiency programmes (mainly solid wall insulation) in areas with high levels of fuel poverty.
This funding is blended with Energy Company Obligation funding, owners’ contributions, and
53 | P a g efunding from registered social landlords, who may choose to insulate their homes at thesame time.
The area-based schemes are designed and delivered by councils with local delivery
partners. They target fuel-poor areas to provide energy efficiency measures to a large
number of Scottish homes while delivering emission savings and helping reduce fuelpoverty.
LiftShare Scheme: A car share business and brand, established in 2000 and is one of thelargest car-sharing communities in the UK. A digital platform where users can find people inan area to car share with.
Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES): a proposed statutory duty to beundertaken by local authorities to establish area-based plans and priorities to link long term
targets and national policies with delivery of energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation, in
local areas.
Low Carbon: low carbon is a relative term. It is not specific in the way ‘zero carbon’ is, andso is not beneficial term when describing anything other than general principles. If atechnology is low carbon, it causes or results in only a relatively small release of carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere.
Low Carbon Transport Hub Project: is a transport hub consisting of low carbon refuelling
facilities such as Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure and/or hydrogen refuelling
infrastructure
Low Emission Zone (LEZ): Zones which set an environmental limit on certain roads toallow access to only vehicles that are deemed to have cleanest emissions
Net zero carbon: net Zero carbon emissions is considered a synonym for carbon neutrality.
The overall CO2 emissions produced are equalled by the emissions captured, creating a net
zero effect.
Net-zero GHG emissions: this can be confused with net zero carbon emissions, but whenaccurately used, means all greenhouse gas emissions decline to zero, as opposed to justcarbon dioxide. (source – World Resources institute)
Paris Agreement 2015: Thisis a treaty built upon the 1992 United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change. The Agreement brings all nations into a common cause to
take action in order to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, by also providing
assistance to developing countries to do so. The Agreement sets a target to keep the global
temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to attempt limiting
the increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It requires nations to work towards theelimination of climate change through nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
Perth Active Travel Hub (PATH): An organisation focused on working with the Council tohelp deliver the active travel strategy and raise awareness on the benefits of active travel.
Smarter Choices, Smarter Places: Transport Scotland Grant administered by Paths for All
since 2015. The grant is allocated to Local Authorities “ to encourage more people to reduce
their car use in favour of more sustainable alternatives such as walking, cycling and public
transport.” (Transport Scotland)
54 | P a g e

Sustrans Places for Everyone Programme: an investment programme funded byTransport Scotland/Scottish Government, which is targeting transformational change instreet design to help facilitate a modal shift to walking and cycling across Scotland.
Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge (SOTC) Fund: A fund to facilitate an increase in
the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) in Scotland’s towns and cities by supporting local
authorities with incentives and promotion of EVs. The SOTC challenge fund initiative will
operate as a competitive capital fund with an annual call for bids.
TACTRAN: “Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership” is a partnership with
Angus, Dundee City, Perth & Kinross and Stirling Councils.
Tayside Biodiversity Partnership: Perth and Kinross Council has a legal duty to conserveand enhance biodiversity. Working together across all our services, we are developing thebest ways to do this and, at the same time, contributing to other policies and initiatives. The
Partnership covers the local authority areas of Angus and Perth and Kinross. The
partnership is made up of statutory bodies, local authorities, non-government organisations
and individuals.
Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan 2016-26: The Tayside Biodiversity Partnershiphas produced a local Biodiversity Action Plan to ensure that locally and nationally important
species and habitats are conserved and enhanced through focused local action. The Action
Plan charts the way ahead in protecting the multitude of flora and fauna that flourish acrossthe county, as well as their habitats, bringing together organisations, communities andindividuals by providing more than 140 projects.
Transport Act 2019: Enacted in November 2019, the Act makes provisions for low
emissions zones; for powers of local transport authorities to operate local bus services intheir areas; arrangements for people to be entitled to travel on local bus and other transport
services; to prohibit the parking of vehicles on pavements and prohibit double parking;
Warm Homes Fund (WHF): The fund is designed to support local authorities and thoseorganisations working with them to address fuel poverty. National Grid is working with
Ofgem to decide how best to use this sum to benefit energy consumers.
The fund is primarily designed to incentivise the installation of affordable heating solutions infuel poor households who do not use mains gas as their primary fuel.
Warm Homes Discount Industry Initiative (through SSE): larger energy suppliers deliver
support to people living in fuel poverty or who are at risk of fuel poverty. Energy Suppliers
can choose to deliver some of this support through Industry Initiatives.
The scheme that has been developed for Perth and Kinross with SSE, will help to provide
energy advice, benefits checks and tariff checks through our Energy Advice Project throughour delivery partner - Scarf. We can also help to fund energy efficiency measures such as
insulation and heating improvements through the scheme. £100,000 has been pledged by
SSE to fund the project in 2019/20.

55 | P a g e

Appendix 1 Council Motion, June 2019:56 | P a g e

Appendix 2 Action Plan
Interim Action Plan
This Appendix contains a summary of the initial actions discussed in the Interim Climate Emergency
Report. The Action are divided into Strategic Actions and actions related to the specific sectors
discussed in the report. The list of actions concentrates on new actions, or actions where the work
is likely to expand in the short term. It does not contain all Council activities which contribute to the
Climate Change agenda.
Note 1:
We have set out our actions in the report using the following timeframe and colour coding:
Short Term
Medium TermLong Term

Within the next year
1-3 years
3 years and greater (where we can estimate the time period wehave added this in)

Note 2:
We have indicated the status of resources required for each action using the following colour coding
Achievable within existing resources, or realistic prospect of additional resources(such as ongoing external funding)Reasonable likelihood of resource availability (eg potential new external funding)
Future resourcing required to implement
For projects which include preparatory work (i.e. feasibility studies) and can beaccommodated within existing resources but where the resources have not been identified todeliver the outcomes of the feasibility work, this is indicated with a * in the appropriate box*

57 | P a g e

ActionNo

Reference
Strategic Action
to report
sectionSetting Out the Challenge
SA1
2
Develop a co-ordinated community engagement
programme and toolkit to raise awareness andsupport our communities in making changes tomove to a more sustainable way of living.

Lead

SA2

1

SA3

2 c)

SA4

4 c)

SA5

5 c)

DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment
DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment
Head ofPlanning &Development
Head of
Property
Services

SA6

5 b)

SA7

Develop ambitious, clearly defined andachievable carbon reduction targets for the Perthand Kinross area jointly with our partners andcommunities, which are based on evidence.
Establish a Climate Change Commission for
Perth & KinrossDevelop a comprehensive Mobility Strategy for
Perth & Kinross through co-production withpartners and stakeholders.
Set clearly defined and achievable annual
carbon reduction targets for the domestic
and non-domestic property portfolio for eacharea of the Council. This information will beshared with the wider community and industry.
Establish the SMART Energy Network forCouncil properties.

Head ofPlanning &Development
Waste
ServicesManager

C1

DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment

1 d)

Develop shared emissions data information with
Community Planning partners to identify
collective contribution to emissions in Perth andKinross.

Resources(see note 2
above)

DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment

Conduct a more detailed greenhouse gas
assessment of the Waste projects andactivities, to prioritise future climate change
activities.
SA8
8 b)
Investigate options and costs in connection withthe creation of a freight consolidation centre,
which would reduce the emissions from large
vehicles having to enter Perth City centre, with`last mile` deliveries via low carbon vehicles.
SA9
8 b)
Deliver flagship economic development projects
to promote innovation and capture clean growtheconomic opportunities, as part of the Tay
Cities Deal.
SA10
8 c)
Review the Council’s sustainable procurement
policy to ensure most up to date climate change
considerations are included
SA11
5 c)
Work with private sector to develop a
decentralised energy generation anddistribution network in Perth City.
SA12
9 c)
Develop a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy,
with the engagement of Council services,
Community Planning partners and ourcommunities.
Setting Out the Challenge
6 c)Timescale(see note 1
above)*

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Head ofPlanning &Development
Corporate
Procurement
Manager
Head ofPlanning &Development
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager

58 | P a g e

Community Engagement, Empowerment and Awareness
E1
2 c)
Work with communities and businesses to
identify shared measures to make a step change
to a low carbon economy.
E2

2 c)

E3

2 c)

E4

2 c)

E5

2 b)

Organise with our partners a Climate Change
Summit in May 2020 to showcase local bestpractices and stimulate engagement with key
stakeholders leading to the United Nations “COP
26” Summit in Glasgow.
Develop an online training resource for all staff
with modules on the Climate Change issues andhow it affects the Council and the individual, aservice specific module, and a module onactions they can take in their personal life.
Develop dedicated web site, providing a local
one-stop-shop on for all matters related toclimate change.
Establish an education/awareness resource
pack for schools/communities with information
across all aspects of climate change

Climate Change Mitigation
Transport
T1
4 b)
Maximise the potential utilisation of Smarter
Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) fund to deliver
sustainable and active travel.
T2

4 b)

Extend the representation of the Mobility Board
to ensure co-production of the Mobility Strategy
with partners and stakeholders.
Carry out research into modal shift requirements,
to inform the development of the Mobility
Strategy.
Develop a strategy for the expansion of EV
charging infrastructure

T3

4 b)

T4

4 b)

T5

4 b)

Develop the low carbon and active travel hub’s
project

T6

4 b)

Develop a strategy to transform the Council’s
fleet to electric and alternative fuel vehicles

T7

4 b)

T8

4 b)

Raise awareness of alternative approaches toattending meetings across Council employees;
including tele/video conferencing and provide
training on using ICT equipment to reducetransport emissions
Publish and promote to Council employees the
car lease scheme currently being developed forelectric vehicles.

T9

4 b)

Develop a revised Corporate Travel Plan for
Perth and Kinross

DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment
Head ofPlanning &Development

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Head ofPlanning &Development
Head ofPlanning &Development
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Head ofPlanning &Development
Fleet Manager
Head ofCorporate IT

Head ofFinance/
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Head ofEnvironmental

59 | P a g e

& Consumer
Services
T10

4 c)

Bid for Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP)
funding to support discounted bus fare initiatives
targeting young people.

T11

4 c)

Expand the potential demand for responsive
transport and community transport schemes

T12

4 c)

Investigate options and develop plans for futurepark + ride sites at Luncarty, Walnut Grove andBridge of Earn.

T13

4 c)

T14

4 c)

Apply for Scottish Government funding for air
quality projects in 2020/21 which include crossservice projects to tackle air quality and climatechange.
Develop active travel routes in the Dunkeld Road
Corridor

T15

4 c)

Expand the network of active travel routes toprovide a comprehensive network around Perth

T16

4 c)

Work with Taxi Operators to accelerate thetransition to electric vehicles

T17

4 c)

Work with Transport Scotland to deliver theElectric A9 project

T18

4 c)

Engage with Scottish Government to include
sustainable transport and active travel in theschool curriculum.

T19

4 c)

Identify options and costs to establish an annual“Bus Day” as an incentive to raise the profile ofpublic transport by bus and promote public
transport.

T20

4 c)

Explore operating registered school buses within
Perth City for non entitled pupils attending theircatchment secondary school to reduce school
run journeys.

T21

4 c)

Prepare Impact Analysis and costings to identify
funding for improving bus stop infrastructure.

Parking,
PublicTransport andCivil
Contingencies
Manager
Parking,
PublicTransport andCivil
Contingencies
Manager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Regulatory
ServicesManager*

Head ofPlanning &Development
Head ofPlanning &Development
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Parking,
PublicTransport andCivil
Contingencies
Manager
Parking,
PublicTransport andCivil
Contingencies
Manager
Parking,
PublicTransport andCivil
Contingencies
Manager***

60 | P a g e

T22

4 c)

T23

4 c)

T24

4 c)

T25

4 c)

Improve bus priority measure at junctions
managed by traffic lights using new technology
and providing new bus lanes on key corridors.
Undertake screening of the Perth City and Crieff
AQMAs in 2020 to identify if the creation of Low
Emission Zones (LEZs) or alternative vehicle
access restrictions could reduce emissions.
Investigate options for further air quality related
regulatory measures which support climatechange mitigation.
Review options for workplace parking (including
workplace parking levy), as a means to support
more sustainable transport choices todisincentivise use of cars.

Traffic and
Network
Manager
Regulatory
ServicesManager

Prepare a costed programme and seek funding
to complete the Local Heat and Energy
Efficiency Strategy LHEES, as the basis for
future planning and delivery of local energy
systems in Perth & KinrossDevelop a programme to ensure all existing
Council houses are brought up to EPC B by2032
Investigate the potential to deliver an exemplar
project potentially to Passive House standard
incorporating other sustainability measures
including potential avenues for funding.
Develop a comprehensive suite of measures forinclusion in the review of the Local Housing
Strategy to assist our tenants contribute to meetthe challenges of climate change mitigation
Work with local Housing Associations tomaximise the number of social rented homes
achieving EPC B by 2032
Carry out a comprehensive awareness raisingprogramme, giving private landlords notice ofimpending EPC targets and directing them to thetechnical advice required, to allow them toupgrade their properties where required.
a) Develop support for private landlords
to work towards the required housing
energy standards where there areissues with the co-ordination of multiowners.
b) Monitor likely demand and consider
options for resourcing this service
including charging on a cost recovery
basis.
Introduce a programme of home energy
efficiency advice, co-designed with partnerorganisations, the third sector and the public a
programme from April 2021.
Commission research in 2020-21 into fuelpoverty in the private sector, to assess the scaleof the problem and develop an action plan totackle the issue.
Carry out an updated local Housing survey
programme, similar to the one being carried out
by Property Services to refresh information

Service
Manager
Planning &Housing
Strategy
Head of
Housing*

Regulatory
ServicesManager
Head ofPlanning &Development

Energy and Buildings
B.1

5 b)

B2

5 b)

B3

5 c)

B4

5 c)

B5

5 c)

B6

5 c)

B7

5 c)

B8

5 c)

B9

5 c)

B10

5 c)

*
*

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Head of
Housing
Private Sector
AccessManagerMarch 2020

Private Sector
AccessManager

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Head of
Housing

61 | P a g e

about the condition of the non-domestic estate
portfolio.
B11

5 c)

B12

5 c)

B13

5 c)

B14

5 c)

B15

5 c)

B16

5 c)

B17

5 c)

B18

5 c)

B19

5 c)

B20

5 c)

B21

5 c)

B22

5 c)

Develop options, costs and funding avenues for
all new Council buildings to be Net Zero Carbon
from 2025 in line with Scottish Government
targets.
All buildings under refurbishment must have
improved EPC rating, energy efficiency andreduce “in use energy” consumption to a levelset in Property Services updated energy policy.
Develop and cost investment opportunities toimprove existing building stock to upgradebuilding fabric and glazing to include triple
glazing as standard.
Develop and cost alternative fuel sources suchas; hydrogen and bio fuels for heating.
Develop and invest in local district heat/electric
network schemes where cost effective andachievable, for Council properties
Expand programme of renewable heat sources
such as air and ground source heat pumps, forCouncil properties
A. Accelerate existing programmes of work
which are already funded to invest in ourestate portfolio. The works will include
upgrading building fabric, glazing,
installation of LED lighting and replacing
inefficient heating systems withrenewable technologies.
B. Explore and secure alternative funding
streams to assist the transition to zerocarbon and meet Scottish Government
Climate change targets.
C. Review the property portfolio and reduce
emissions through a combination of
maximising the use of buildings anddisposing of surplus properties(corporate property asset management
review).
D. Develop partnership working with other
Public sector bodies to share buildings
and resources to achieve net zero by2045.
Investigate options and costs for Passivhaus
construction methods to achieve energy
efficiency and quality such as planned housing
projects and Learning Estate Projects.
E. (A more detailed explanation of
Passivhaus can be explained using thefollowing link.
http://passivhaustrust.org.uk/what_is_pa
ssivhaus.php)
Area-wide assessment of existing energy
resource including demand for heat andtransport; energy storage potential; building
stock (domestic and non-domestic).

Head of
Property
Services*

Head of
Property
Services
Head of
Property
Services*

Head of
Property
Services
Head of
Property
Services
Head of
Property
Services
Head of
Property
Services*

DeputeDirector(Housing &Environment)
Head of
Property
Services*

Head of
Property
Services
Head of
Property
Services*

Head of
Property
Services62 | P a g e

B23

5 c)

v24

5 c)

B25

5 c)

Area-wide setting of future local energy targets
for demand reduction and decarbonisation; andsupply diversification and storage.
Investigate working in collaboration with Scottish
Water on district heating projects for School
Estate and potential to include new social
housing as part of this work.
Investigate and cost options for a dedicatedwater management resource to reduce water
consumption across the estate, reducing
Council’s costs and assist Scottish Water toreduce carbon emissions.

Head of
Property
Services
Head of
Property
Services

Waste
ServicesManager
Waste
ServicesManager

Head of
Property
Services

Waste
W1

6 b)

Explore initiatives to reduce the quantity of single
use items used by the Council

W2

6 c)

W3

6 c)

Review how the national Deposit Return
Scheme (DRS) and other take-back schemes
can be introduced effectively in Perth andKinross.
Explore the trial introduction of drop-off points forfood waste.

W4

6 c)

Review our waste reduction, reuse and recycling
to maximise emission reductions

L1

7 b)

Identify measures to support private landowners
to facilitate and encourage forestation andpeatland restoration.

L2

7 c)

L3

7 c)

L4

7 c)

L5

7 c)

Expand tree planting project in Perth Grammar,
to more school grounds in Perth and Kinross to
reduce their carbon footprint, improve the areaand enhance Eco-Schools status.
Investigate planting our 92 parks (38 hectares)
with native trees that will capture greater tonnesof carbon dioxide each year.
Investigate increasing the overall coverage ofwoodland in maintained open space from current
level of 22% (220 hectares) that will capture
increased tonnes of carbon dioxide each year
and reduce emissions of grass mowing
machinery.
Explore the creation of ‘Climate Parks’ with local
communities to become carbon stores and more
resilient in a changing climate.

L6

7 c)

L7

7 c)

L8

7 c)

Waste
ServicesManager
Waste
ServicesManager

Land Use

Encourage communities and schools to enhance
climate change mitigation, in their local school
grounds and greenspaces using the Council
funded Community Investment Fund.
Review the grassland management policy tosupport wildflower meadows cut once a year.
This will reduce emissions from grass mowing
machinery cutting areas and enhancebiodiversity.
Develop a Food Growing Strategy

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Community
Greenspace
Manager

PeatlandAction SNH
FundCommunity
Greenspace
Manager
Community
Greenspace
Manager**

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Community
Greenspace
Manager**

Community
Greenspace
Manager

Community
Greenspace
Manager*
63 | P a g e

L9

7 c)

L10

7 c)

L11

7 c)

L12

7 c)

Business and Industry
I1
8 b)

I2

8 c)

I3

8 c)

Work across the Council to maximise
opportunities for the Council to achieve actions
set out in the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action
Plan 2016-26.
Work with local communities and Tayside
Biodiversity Partnership to develop biodiversity
action plans supporting both biodiversity andclimate change mitigation (Biodiversity Villages
Project)
Explore the use of planning agreements tosecure biodiversity actions to offset damage tosites caused by large scale development.
Explore options to work with partners to create amonitoring strategy for peatland restoration tounderstand the benefits in a local context toencourage participation with local landowners.
Identify how we can work further with agencies
and industry bodies to provide advice andsupport to individual businesses to maximise
their response to climate change.
Stimulate local business supply chain andsupport skills development, in targeted areas.
Work with large employers to encourage
employees to shift to public transport and active
travel.

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Head ofPlanning &Development,
Head ofPlanning &Development
Team Leader– Transport
Planning

Just Transitions
JT1

Establish a toolkit of factors to consider when
making decisions on climate change mitigation
and adaptation actions, to ensure just transitions
are prioritised
Working Together to Tackle Climate Change
WT1
11 b)
Review the most appropriate Committee to be
the reporting body for Council`s climate change
activity.
10

WT2

11 c)

WT3

11 d)

M1

12

M2

12

M3

12

Develop shared Community Planning
Partnership actions to tackle climate change
mitigation and adaptation.

Develop a forum for engagement with
universities, to explore technologicalopportunities for climate change.
Measuring and Monitoring
Undertake a gap analysis of existing climatechange related data, to highlight further
information needed to set SMART targets andindicators for progress.
Compile an annual report of our progress andperformance in tackling climate change.

Establish a working group as part of the future
Climate Change Commission to develop, collectand share key performance data to assist with
progress monitoring.

Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment
DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment
Head ofPlanning &Development
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
Planning &Housing
StrategyManager
DeputeDirector
Housing &Environment64 | P a g e

Appendix 3 Engagement Partners for Climate Change - Community Groups and Partners(indicative List of Potential Engagement Partners)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Carse of Gowrie Sustainability Group
Dunkeld Climate Café
Blairgowie Climate Café
Aberfeldy Climate Cafe
Pitlochry Climate Café
Letham Sustainability Group
Muthil Community Energy Group
Comrie Development Trust
Highland Perthshire Development Trust
The Glens Community Development Trust
The HEAT Project
Zero Waste Perth
Tay Landscape Partnership
Friends of the Ochils
Rannoch Community Trust
Tay Rivers Trust
Citizens Advice Bureau

Other partners will be added to this list, as part of the engagement activity detailed in thereport.

65 | P a g e