Monmouthshire County Council
Climate Emergency Strategy
October 20191

TitleClimate Emergency Strategy

PurposeThis strategy outlines the council’s response to the climate
emergency declared in May 2019

Owner

Monmouthshire County Council

Approved by

Not yet approved.

Date

October 2019

Version Number

0.9

StatusUnapproved Draft

Review Frequency

AnnualNext review date

September 2020

Consultation

Strong Communities Select Committee (open to all members) on
26th September 2019.

2

Foreword
The purpose of Monmouthshire County Council is building sustainable and resilient communities.
This feels more relevant than ever. In 2019 no one can be blind to the threat that climate change
poses to our eco-systems, our local environment and our way of life. Carbon emissions from fossil
fuels are one of the main causes of climate change and as a council we are striving to becomecarbon neutral by 2030.
If we are to stand a chance of slowing the rise in the Earth’s temperature we need to act now.
Earlier this year councillors in Monmouthshire were unanimous in declaring a climate emergency.
We intend to play our part in tackling this issue and we will work with communities and local
businesses to help them reduce their emissions. This will requirement engagement, community
involvement and commitments from third parties.
We have made a start:We have called for our pension fund to divest its fossil fuel investments and have seen the
proportion of the fund invested in such firms decline from 9.10% to 6.95% since 2018;
We have built a solar farm which is contributes towards the £650,000 worth of renewableenergy we put into to the national grid each year;
More than 99% of the energy we buy comes from renewable sources.

And we will continue to do more:Developing an investment programme to help our services transition to a low carbon future
Piloting the use of locally designed and built hydrogen powered cars;
Trialling digital solutions which make it easier for people to travel through better use ofexisting transport capacity;
Installing a network of charging points for electric vehicles.

We will do this while continuing to provide the services which form part of the social foundations on
which our communities are built. We know that this will not be easy. It needs bold thinking and we
don’t yet have all of the answers. Monmouthshire is blessed with a rich tapestry of caring andcommitted people, businesses and community groups that make this place what it is. Now, perhaps
more than at any time in the past, we need everyone to get behind this commitment and play theirpart in securing a better tomorrow.

Cllr Jane Pratt,Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Neighbourhood Services

3Monmouthshire 2030: A Carbon Neutral Council
Why this matters?
Tackling climate change and moving to a low carbon economy is one of the biggest challenges facing
our society. Rising temperatures bring increased risks to our communities and are causing long-termand potentially irreversible damage to our planet’s eco-systems, with significant local impacts such as
flooding and loss of species.1 By 2030 this council aspires to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero
while continuing to deliver important local services to our communities.
Carbon emissions from fossil fuels are one of the main causes of climate change. The scientificconsensus is that human activity since industrialisation has been the major factor in the recent
warming of the Earth’s surface. It will take action and ingenuity from humans to halt it.
Climate change, deforestation and agriculture
mean the ability of the planet to lock up carbon
is reducing. Soil is being eroded at a quicker
rate than new soil can be formed while melting
ice is contributing to rising sea levels andreleasing carbon previously trapped beneathfrozen land. These changes result in feedback
loops where rising temperatures accelerate thedegradation of land and soil through drought,
desertification and rising sea levels. This in turnincreases the volume of greenhouse gases
being released by land, further accelerating
global warming.
Time to Act
If we are to stand a chance of addressing climate change and slowing the rise in the Earth’s
temperature there is a narrow window of opportunity to take action. The International Panel on
Climate Change has indicated that rises above 1.5 °C will affect the ability of the planet to sustain
human life as we know it and that crucially, without significant change, that figure will be passed by
2030. In short, we don’t have long to act.
In May 2019 Monmouthshire County Council unanimously passed a motion declaring a climate
emergency2. This sets out a clear policy commitment for the council to:

strive to reduce its own carbon emissions to net zero in line with the Welsh Government targetof 2030;
encourage and support residents and businesses to take their own actions to reduce theircarbon emissions;
Work with partners across the county and other councils and organisations to help develop
and implement best practice methods in limiting global warming to less than 1.5 °C.

This must be done while continuing to provide the services which create the social foundations ourcommunities are built upon and which no-one should be without. These include the commitments
within the council’s Social Justice Strategy. Our challenge is to find a way to exist in the safe space
between the ecological limits of the planet while continuing to provide these social foundations3. The
Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Neighbourhood Services will chair a group to oversee progressand ensure that the council’s plans are continually challenged to reduce carbon and incorporate
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emerging technology and concepts. This will require bold thinking, we do not yet have all of theanswers and will continue to seek out the people, ideas and evidence about what works and apply thisin Monmouthshire.

The Benefits of Action
As well as the global and moral imperative to act on climate change we can also expect to see
multiple local benefits from moving to a lower carbon society:

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



Lower energy bills for residents and businesses
Better air quality and the resulting health benefits
Shorter commuting times between home, work and school
Increased use of active travel like walking and cycling which can help improve peoples’
healthLess damage to the local environment from drought, floods and fire
Increased demand for green technologies and the resulting potential for job growth in these
sectors
Better habitat management, increased biodiversity and creation of green space
Increased connectivity between people and the environment and more globally responsible
citizens

Local Carbon Emissions
Climate is a global issue but we all have a part to play. If we are to reduce our net emissions weneed to understand what they are now – both in our county and our organisation. Emissions perhead of population across Monmouthshire are above UK levels. Since 2005 net carbon emissions in
the county have reduced by 28% from 903 kilotonnes to 648 kilotonnes per year while ourpopulation has increased by 7%4. Although the emissions have reduced, this is still a weight theequivalent of 54,000 London double decker buses.

(Source: UK local authority dioxide emissions, National Statistics)

The downward trajectory mirrors a similar trend as across the UK as a result of things like anincrease in the use of cleaner energy. Over this time we have also seen an increase in carbon
captured in the county from 17 to 43 kilotonnes but the amount captured is less than 7% of the total
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CO2 produced5. If decarbonisation were to continue at this rate we would not be carbon neutral
until after 2050, too late to prevent catastrophic climate change. We need to do more.
Carbon emissions in the county come from a range of sources including industry, agriculture, roadtransport and domestic homes. The biggest single contributor is transport and in particular roadtransport. This is shown in the chart below6:(Source: UK local authority dioxide emissions, National Statistics)

Monmouthshire County Council will strive to reduce its own emissions while working with partners,
including members of the Public Service Board, local businesses and community groups to reduce
emissions and improve carbon capture across the county as a whole from things like trees,
vegetation and green infrastructure which help to sequester and store carbon.
Data from our own organisation shows that we generate approximately:

8,700 tonnes from static assets such as buildings and street lighting (the weight of 725
double decker buses)
3,000 tonnes from council vehicles like buses and refuse trucks, plus cars driven by officers
and councillors in the course of their work (250 double decker buses)
15,000 tonnes of emissions from the manufacture of the good and supplies we buy (1,250
double decker buses).

This is still an incomplete picture and we will increase our understanding as our work develops.

We’ve made a start…but have a lot more to do
The Council are already taking steps to reduce our carbon emissions. This infographic shows someof the work that is already underway in Monmouthshire7.

67

Our Objectives at a Glance
Our action plan covers ten broad objectives that will deliver a net reduction in carbon emissions by2030. Each of these objectives contains actions for the local authority which will reduce thecouncil’s own emissions, as well as actions that will reduce county wide carbon emissions which willneed to be taken forward in partnership with the community, plus steps that everyone can do.
The action plan contained as an appendix to the strategy is not the finished article. It will be
updated and reported on annually, but the actions will be continuous, as we look globally forexamples of leading edge practice that can help us accelerate our progress. It contains an initial andhigh level of assessment of impact, cost and feasibility. Low cost actions are those below £5,000,
medium are those between £5,000 and £50,000 and high cost are those above £50,000. Our priority
will be to put our energy and investment into those that offer the most advantageous balance ofcarbon reduction and feasibility. We also need to ensure some early actions to get the maximum
cumulative benefit over the next twelve years.
Energy and Buildings
Reduce the amount of energy that is used forbuildings and street lighting

Renewable Energy
Speed up the move from fossil fuels to
renewable energy

Green Spaces
Create and manage green spaces to absorb
carbon & provide resilience to climate change

What we Buy
Reduce carbon by thinking carefully about
when and what we buy and the whole life costs

Waste
Reduce waste by encouraging people toreduce, re-use and recycle more

Active Travel
Encourage and make it easier for people towalk and cycle rather than driveGreener Transport
Reduce the impact of vehicles and encourage
the use of electric and hydrogen vehicles

Public Transport
Encourage people to use public transport
rather than cars

Education and involvement
Help people understand climate change andwhat they can do to make a difference

Climate Adaptation
Preparing and adapting for the impact ofclimate change.

Playing your part
The Climate Emergency Action Plan cannot be delivered by the Council alone. We need otherpartners to join us in helping to reduce carbon emissions across the county. To that end, we will beworking with Public Service Board partners over coming months.
We hugely value the enthusiasm, energy and expertise of the residents of Monmouthshire who havesuch a lot to contribute, and we plan to collaborate with our communities and other partners towork together on our action plan. This process began at the end of July 2019 with a Community
Climate Champions workshop to begin to identify where they can help us deliver.
There are things that every resident, visitor or worker in Monmouthshire can do to play their part in
reducing carbon emissions and helping to slow down climate change. We are all part of the
problem, but can all be part of the solution too.
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Climate Adaptation
Even if we were to stop all carbon emissions
today, we will still have to face the impacts ofclimate change that are already happening.
Over the next few decades we are facingsome level of climate change regardless of any
action to reduce our emissions now. The 2012
Climate Change Risk Assessment for Wales
forecasts hotter, drier summers, warmer,
wetter winters and more extreme weather
events.
There are lots of things that the council isdoing to make sure that we are prepared for the impacts of climate change. In recent years, council
services have thought about what the potential risks to their services are, in order to start thinking
about how to adapt to these risks. The Local Development Plan has a key role to play in making surethat our communities are sustainable and resilient to the impacts of climate change.
With an increase in winter rainfall and rising sea levels, flooding is likely to increase, and this will be aparticular concern in parts of Monmouthshire. Much of the work to co-ordinate emergency
responses is organised through the Gwent Local Resilience Forum (LRF). We will continue to workwith partners on the LRF to make sure that we are prepared for severe weather events.
If you live somewhere prone to flooding, make sure you know what to do. Find out more athttps://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/services/planning-for-emergencies/flooding/
Keeping tabs on how we are doing
It is important that we know whether the actions we will be taking to reduce climate change aremaking a difference to our emissions. We can measure how much carbon some of the actions willsave. However, we will not be able to measure carbon savings from some of the actions, but we canat least make sure that we are doing what we have said we will do.
We will be starting a member led working group, to be chaired by the cabinet member (withcommunity and officers) which will meet quarterly. Updates on progress against the actions will becollated every three months and reported to the working group to make sure that we are making
good progress.

9Our Commitment to Action
Addressing climate change will require collaboration and the commitment of many people. We aredetermined to play our part and the actions that Monmouthshire County Council is committed toinclude:














We have built a solar farm which contributes towards the £650,000 worth of renewableenergy to the national grid each year, and will invest in more renewable schemes when thenational grid has enough capacity
We have called for our pension fund to divest its fossil fuel investments and have seen the
proportion of the fund invested in such firms decline from 9.10% to 6.95% since 2018;
Develop an investment programme to help our services transition to a low carbon future
Transition the council’s transport fleet to hybrid, electric and hydrogen vehicles as these
become available
Pilot the use of locally designed and built hydrogen powered cars;
Trial digital solutions for next generation transport schemes that make it easier for people totravel by making better use of existing transport capacity;
Install a network of charging points for electric vehicles.
Recruit a member of staff to develop, promote and secure funding for active travel schemes
to reduce car journeys while increasing walking and cycling
Install photovoltaic canopies at council owned car parks to power electric vehicle charge
points with renewable energy
Plant 10,000 new trees by 2022
Make all of our buildings water refill stations and eliminate single use plastics from allcouncil-run premises
Promote Monmouthshire as a test-bed for companies looking to trial low carbon
technologies in a rural setting

10Appendix A
Climate Emergency Action Plan

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Reducingenergy use
Reducing energy use
Reducing the amount of energy that is used for buildings and street
lighting
Action to reduce MCC emissions
New council buildings will operate with net zero carbon
emissions by 2025 or use carbon offsetting where this cannot
be achieved
Implement energy efficiency improvements across the existing
council estate by 2022
Reduce CO2 emissions from our energy supply
All remaining street lighting will be converted to LED bulbs
All bulbs within council owned buildings will be LED
Action to reduce County emissions
Use planning policy to insist on higher energy standards for
new buildings
Reduce carbon emissions across all public service buildings inin the county in partnership with the Public Service Board
Promote minimum energy standards in private owned
accommodation

CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction Taxpayer

Low

High

MediumMedium
Low
Low
Low
CO2
reduction

High
High
MediumMediumCost toTaxpayer

MediumEasierEasierEasierMediumLow

HarderMediumLow

EasierLow

Low

MediumFeasibility

What can I do to play my part?
Make sure you have got draft proofing and loft and cavity wall insulation in your home – save moneyand energy. https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-insulation
Simple things like switching off the lights, not leaving things on standby and only boiling the water you
really need in the kettle can really make a difference. https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/homeenergy-efficiency
Understand how your heating controls work and using thermostats properly can save energy.
If you use a dishwasher, make sure you only use it when full.
Make sure your washing machine in full and dry clothes on a line rather than tumble dry if you can.

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UsingrenewableenergyUsing renewable energy
Speed up the move from fossil fuels to renewable energy
Action to reduce MCC emissions
Build and operate two new solar farms – subject to national grid
capacity
Develop proposals for a district heating scheme
Develop a Whole System Smart Energy Plan as part of Cardiff
Capital Region Approach
Install photovoltaic canopies at council owned car parks to powerelectric vehicle charge points with renewable energy
Action to reduce County emissions
Require renewable energy on private sector developments
Identify areas for renewable generation in the new Local
Development Plan

CO2
reduction

Cost toTaxpayer

Feasibility

High

High

MediumHigh

High

MediumHigh

High

HarderMediumHigh

MediumCO2
reduction

Cost toTaxpayer

Feasibility

MediumLow

HarderMediumLow

MediumWhat can I do to play my part?
Switch your energy supplier to a renewable energy contract.
https://www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity/green-energy-tariffs/
Find out whether you could install solar panels or another renewable energy in your home.
https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/renewable-energy
Consider what you want your savings or pensions to be invested in.
https://www.finder.com/ca/ethical-savings-accounts

13Managinggreen
spacesManaging green spaces
To reduce energy use, to absorb carbon and be resilient
Action to reduce MCC emissions
Eliminate the use of peat based compost by our grounds
maintenance teams
Expand pollinator friendly management work and reduce grass
cutting frequency/extent where appropriate and safe
Generate renewable energy from grass cuttings through anaerobic
digestion
Plant 10,000 new trees by 2022
Use our county farms as exemplars for sustainable agriculture.
Use low carbon building technologies like green walls or roofs

CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction taxpayer
Low

Low

EasierLow

Low

EasierLow

Low

Medium

Low
Low
Low
CO2
reduction

MediumMediumMediumCost totaxpayer

MediumMediumMediumAction to reduce County emissions
Feasibility
Promote sustainable land management and agricultural practices,
including nutrient/soil management and natural flood management HighHigh
Harder
Maintain & enhance biodiversity & make ecosystems more resilient Medium Medium Medium
Plant more trees and increase area of woodland, improve andincrease woodland management and retain existing woodland
Medium Medium Medium
Secure more green infrastructure through development
Low
Low
EasierPromote and support local food growing
Low
Medium Medium
Reduce food miles by work with local famers to market local food
Low
Low
EasierEnsure permeable materials and water storage is incorporated into
new car parks
Low
High
MediumWhat can I do to play my part?
Leave part of your garden wild, make habitats for wildlife and plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide.
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions
Join a “Friends of” group to get involved in sustainable green space management, or find out about
local groups who are doing community gardening and growing. https://www.farmgarden.org.uk/
Try and reduce your food miles by buying food which is locally grown where possible and in season.
Think about where meat you buy comes from and have a varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables
Get involved in community allotments or establish a new allotment and have a go and growing yourown fruit and veg .https://www.theallotmentgarden.co.uk/Easier-grow/14

What webuy
What we buy
Reducing carbon by thinking carefully about when and what we buy
and whole life costs
CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction taxpayer

Action to reduce MCC emissions
Eliminate single use plastics within the council

Low

Low

EasierPhase out fossil fuel investments from our pension fund

High

High

HarderAll tender document will contain criteria to criteria address climate
emergency commitments

Low

Low

MediumIncorporate climate and decarbonisation into strategic
procurement collaborations

Low

Low

MediumWhat can I do to play my part?
Think about how much you buy and whether you really need it.
When you are buying food think local, in season, reduced and recyclable packaging.
Support your local charity shop and buy second hand, or use schemes such as Freecycle
https://www.freecycle.org/
Consider buying “experiences” for people as gifts, or charity gifts that support sustainable projects,
rather than buy gifts that aren’t wanted or needed. https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfamunwrapped

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Reducingwaste
Reducing waste
By encouraging people to reduce, re-use and recycle more
Action to reduce MCC emissions
Reduce waste and increase recycling in all public spaces including
retail centres
Reduce food waste in schools
Action to reduce County emissions
Make all of our buildings water refill stations
Support, promote and expand the Repair Cafes and Upcycle
movement
Roll out re-use shops at Household Waste sites, and use revenue tofund tree planting
Increase ‘reduce, re-use and recycling’ across the county
Build a new high quality recycling facility in central Monmouthshire
Require all households to recycle

CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction taxpayer
Low
Low
CO2
reduction
Low

MediumMediumCost totaxpayer
Low

MediumHarderLow

Low

EasierLow
MediumMediumLow

MediumMediumHigh
MediumMediumMediumMediumHarder

Feasibility
EasierWhat can I do to play my part?
Find out about and use all the different types of recycling that Monmouthshire does.
https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/
Get recipes and tips for using food and reducing food waste. https://lovefoodhatewaste.com/
Use refillable water bottles, and reusable containers for your lunch. https://refill.org.uk/
Try and cut down on single use plastics. https://www.sas.org.uk/plastic-free-communities/
Look after your clothes and don’t buy disposable fashion. https://www.loveyourclothes.org.uk/
Donate unwanted clothes, bric-a-brac, books, furniture etc. to your local charity shop to reduce landfill
and help raise money.

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Walking
and cycling
Walking and cycling
Encouraging and making it easier for people to walk and cycle rather
than drive
Action to reduce MCC emissions
Improve and expand our cycle and footpath network.
Develop a bike share scheme
Fit bike carriers to buses to encourage cycling
Introduce cycling mileage rates for staff to incentivise active travel
over car journeys
Reduce business miles travelled by staff 25% by 2023 through useof technology
Action to reduce County emissions
Develop e-bike and cycle hire schemes beginning in town centres
Develop schemes that will increase walking and cycling to school
Introduce no idling near schools, and other appropriate locations
Maximise opportunities for active travel, ensuring routes are safe
and convenient

CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction taxpayer
Medium
Low
Low

High
MediumMediumMediumMediumMediumLow

Low

EasierMediumCO2
reduction
Low
MediumLow

MediumCost totaxpayer
MediumMediumLow

MediumMediumLow

MediumFeasibility
MediumMediumEasierWhat can I do to play my part?
Try and walk for short journeys, and reduce carbon while getting fit at the same time!
Find out about local cycle routes and cycling groups and get on your bike.
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network/
Team up with parents and your local school to develop a walking bus to walk your little ones to school.
Get involved with local public rights of way volunteering opportunities.
https://volunteer.monmouthshire.gov.uk/
Ask your employer if they can provide showers and lockers so that you can cycle to work.

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GreenervehiclesGreener vehicles
Reducing the impact of vehicle use and encouraging use of electric andhydrogen vehicles
Action to reduce MCC emissions
Introduce a green travel plan for staff and councillor travel
Increase the mileage rates payable for staff who use electricvehicles relative to petrol and diesel cars
Install EV charging points at all larger council buildings
Transition the council’s transport fleet to hybrid, electric andhydrogen vehicles as these become available
Action to reduce County emissions
Provide free car parking in MCC owned car parks for electric andhydrogen vehicles until 2025
Encourage the use of electric or hybrid taxis
Use parking and speed enforcement to prevent traffic congestion
and minimise air pollution
Launch the Riversimple hydrogen car pilot in Abergavenny
Develop proposals for EV charging in street lights and new housingdevelopments

CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction taxpayer
Low

Low

Easier

Low
Low

Low
High

EasierMediumMedium Medium Medium
CO2
Cost toreduction taxpayer Feasibility
Low
Low

High
Low

MediumHarder

Low
Low

Low
High

HarderMediumMediumHigh

MediumWhat can I do to play my part?
Try and car share when you can, to save fuel and money. There are schemes to help.
https://liftshare.com/uk
If you are thinking of replacing your vehicle, think about whether an electric car would work for you.
There are grants which can help. https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/transport/electric-cars-andvehicles/electric-vehicles

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Publictransport
Public transport
Encouraging people to use public transport rather than cars
Action to reduce MCC emissions
Develop a business case to move to an electric bus fleet
Trial digital solutions for next generation transport schemes thatmake better use of existing transport capacity
Action to reduce County emissions
Encourage modal shift through the South Wales MetroContinue to make the case to national governments for improved
train frequencies and station provision
Develop a ‘Rural Uber’ scheme linked to train stations

CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction taxpayer
Low

High

MediumMediumCO2
reduction
High

High
HarderCost totaxpayer Feasibility
High
HarderLow
MediumMediumHigh

MediumMediumWhat can I do to play my part?
Find out about public transport options that could work for you. https://www.traveline.cymru/
If you are 16 to 21 you can get bus travel discounts. https://mytravelpass.gov.wales/en/
If you are 16 to 25 you can apply for a young persons railcard. https://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/
Concessionary bus passes are available from Transport for Wales. https://tfw.gov.wales/

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Education
andinvolvement
Education and involvement
Helping people understand climate change and what they can do to
make a difference
Action to reduce MCC emissions
Make energy data available to schools and encourage pupils to get
involved in managing energy consumption
Introduce carbon literacy training for all council staff
Change the council’s default internet search engine to Ecosia whichplants a tree for every search madeAction to reduce County emissions
Work with community groups to develop an Internet of Things
sensor network to inform decisions and educate local communities
Start local growing and cooking schemes in schools
Use the One Planet Centre as a focus for climate change education

CO2
Cost toFeasibility
reduction taxpayer
Low
Low

Low
Low

EasierMediumLow
Low
EasierCO2
Cost toreduction taxpayer Feasibility
MediumLow
Low

MediumMediumLow

HarderEasierEasierWhat can I do to play my part?
Get involved with your school’s Eco Committee, or if your school isn’t an Eco School, find out more andask them if they would consider it. https://www.keepwalestidy.cymru/pages/category/eco-schools
Does your workplace have recycling or other environmental issues in place? Why not try and startsomething.
Get involved with one of the many voluntary groups in Monmouthshire doing great work on climatechange. https://www.transitionchepstow.org.uk/ https://transitionmonmouth.org/
http://abergavennytransition.org/ https://www.facebook.com/AbergavennyExtinctionRebellion/

References
1 https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-

5c-approved-by-governments/
2 https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=3758

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3 Doughnut Economics (2017); Raworth, Kate
4 UK local authority and regional carbon dioxide emissions national statistics: 2005-2016, full dataset andmethodology available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-local-authority-and-regionalcarbon-dioxide-emissions-national-statistics
5 LULUCF Net Emissions (land use, land use change and forestry) total. Ibid
6 2016 data for Monmouthshire. Ibid
7 Council Data for 2018/19

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