Technical Notes 2024, Issue 188 - Public Bodies Climate Change Duty Report

• The impacts of climate change continue to intensify with more temperature records being broken across the world. September 2024 registered at 1.75°C warmer than pre-industrial levels, marking the hottest average global surface temperature in 174 years of climate data keeping. Human activity has caused greenhouse gas concentrations to rise by over 10% in just two decades, a trend which will lock in continued warming for decades to come [1].
  
  
• Scotland’s ten hottest years occurred since 1997, with 2022 marking the warmest year on record in Scotland. [2] Average national precipitation rates have risen by 20% and the summer of 2024 was the wettest on record. [3] Increases in temperatures and rainfall result in stronger storms and multiply flood risks for communities across Scotland. [4] The country is already experiencing climate impacts that were projected to occur over the next three decades. [5]

• The Scottish Government has set a legally binding target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019.
• The Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015 requires all public bodies, including local authorities, to submit an annual Climate Change Report to Scottish Ministers, detailing compliance with the climate change duties, by 30 November 2024.

Further detail on achieving these targets will be set out in the forthcoming Climate Action Plan.

• The Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020 requires that from November 2022 all Public Bodies’ Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) reports, include:
  • a target date for achieving zero direct emissions of greenhouse gases;
  • targets for reducing indirect emissions of greenhouse gases;
  • how the body will align its spending plans and use of resources to contribute to reducing emissions and delivering its emissions reduction targets;
  • how the body will publish its progress on delivering reduction targets; and
  • where applicable, what contribution the body has made to deliver Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Programme.
    
    
• Key expectations within the legislation also include:
  
  • Governance - Institutional boards and senior executive teams must ensure that climate change systemically informs strategic investment planning and decision-making processes and is embedded into the management of risks and opportunities across the organisation.
  • Finance - Climate change must be integrated into financial planning and reporting.
  • Reporting - Public bodies must consistently, accurately and transparently report all Scope 1 & 2 emissions and all relevant and significant Scope 3 emissions.
  • Accountability - It is recommended that climate change targets should be a board level KPI and if targets are missed, a corrective action plan is required.

• The Report constitutes a means of measuring annual progress in emission reduction targets. The Council supplements this information with a Carbon Management Plan which provides an analysis of corporate emissions, costs associated with key aspects of the Council’s corporate carbon footprint, short-term corporate emissions reductions targets and progress against the Council’s overall emissions reduction targets. The forthcoming 2023/24 iteration of the Carbon Management Plan will provide this information based upon the data gathered from the 2023/24 PBCCD process.
  
  
• The Public Bodies Climate Change Reporting Duty Report Template is split into 5 required parts, which respectively address:
  • Profile of body
  • Governance
  • Emissions and Projects
  • Adaptation Procurement
  • Validation
    
    
• In line with the Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020, the Public Climate Change Duties Report contains details of how the Council is:
• • preparing to set and report progress on emissions reduction targets.
  • aligning its spending plans and use of resources with these targets. 
    
    
• The Council’s carbon emissions during the 2023/24 financial year amounted to 14,719 tCO₂ This total is comprised of the Council’s use of electricity, natural gas, oil, biomass, waste management, and transport (fleet and business travel) activities.
• This total is 71 tCO₂e, or approximately half a percent higher than the total 2022/23 emissions of 14,648 tCO₂ However, approximately 296 tCO₂e was added to the Council’s carbon footprint in 2023/24 due to a short-term increase in the emission intensity of electricity which was predicted in the CMP update report approved by PNCA in January 2024
  
  
• This increase occurred due to a temporary reduction in wind energy production caused by irregular weather patterns. The reduction in wind energy supply required an increase in natural gas to offset lower than expected renewables output, thus increasing the overall electricity emissions factor.
  
  
• If the emission intensity of electricity had remained the same as 2022/23 emissions records, the Council’s total carbon emissions would have continued to fall by 225 tCO₂e due to reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 3. Further analysis of the contributing factors to the Council’s emissions will be further set out in the forthcoming Carbon Management Plan.
  
  
• Following guidance from the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service and a recommendation in the CAP’s Evidence and Options Report, transmission and distribution emissions have been moved from Scope 2 to Scope 3 as detailed in the forthcoming Carbon Management Plan.
  
  
• Table 1 illustrates greenhouse gas emissions by scope since record keeping for the Council began:

2012/2013
Scope 1 - 9,793
Scope 2 - 12,421
Scope 3 - 10,206
Total tCO₂e - 32,420

2013/2014 
Scope 1 - 10,574
Scope 2 - 11,489
Scope 3 - 7,635
Total tCO₂e - 29,698

2014/2015
Scope 1 - 9,532
Scope 2 - 12,861
Scope 3 - 7,602
Total tCO₂e -29,995

2015/2016
Scope 1 - 9,306
Scope 2 - 10,338
Scope 3 - 11,778
Total tCO₂e - 31,422

2016/2017
Scope 1 - 8,291
Scope 2 - 9,154
Scope 3 - 11,328
Total tCO₂e - 28,773

2017/2018
Scope 1 - 9,160
Scope 2 - 7,959
Scope 3 - 14,305
Total tCO₂e - 31,424

2018/2019
Scope 1 - 8,267
Scope 2 - 6,258
Scope 3 - 4,498
Total tCO₂e - 19,023

2019/2020
Scope 1 - 8,800
Scope 2 - 5,345
Scope 3 - 4,112
Total tCO₂e - 18,257

2020/2021
Scope 1 - 7,893
Scope 2 - 3,955
Scope 3 - 3,722
Total tCO₂e - 15,570

2021/2022
Scope 1 - 8,572
Scope 2 - 4,347
Scope 3 - 3,668
Total tCO₂e - 16,587

2022/2023
Scope 1 - 8,278
Scope 2 - 4,281
Scope 3 - 2,089
Total tCO₂e -  14,648

2023/2024
Scope 1 - 8,016
Scope 2 - 4,397
Scope 3 - 2,305
Total tCO₂e -  14,719

• A summary of the emissions contributions to the Council’s carbon footprint is provided in Figure 1:

• Further details of contributing factors to each area of the Council's carbon footprint can be found in Table 2:
  
  

Table 2: EDC Emissions Sources 2023/2024

Area - Streetlights
Emission Source - Electricity
Total tCO₂e - 894

Area - Streetlights
Emission Source - Transmission and Distribution
Total tCO₂e - 77

Area - Built Assets
Emission Source - Electricity
Total tCO₂e - 3,502

Area - Built Assets
Emission Source - Transmission and Distribution
Total tCO₂e - 303

Area - Built Assets
Emission Source - Natural Gas
Total tCO₂e - 5,740

Area - Built Assets
Emission Source - Gas oil to heat buildings
Total tCO₂e - 36

Area - Built Assets
Emission Source - Wood pellets (biomass for heating)
Total tCO₂e - 28

Area - Waste
Emission Source - Household/Municipal/Domestic waste - landfill
Total tCO₂e - 802

Area - Waste
Emission Source - Commercial and industrial waste - landfill
Total tCO₂e - 612

Area - Waste
Emission Source - Household/Municipal/Domestic waste - combustion
Total tCO₂e - 44

Area - Waste
Emission Source - Plastics: average plastics - recycled
Total tCO₂e - 284

Area - Waste
Emission Source - Garden waste - composting
Total tCO₂e - 94

Area - Waste
Emission Source - Mixed food and garden waste - anaerobic digestion
Total tCO₂e - 26

Area - Fleet
Emission Source - Diesel (average biofuel blend)
Total tCO₂e - 2203

Area - Business Miles
Emission Source - Average Car (unknown)
Total tCO₂e - 63

• The Public Bodies Climate Change Report also sets out five priorities for climate change mitigation and adaptation for the Council during the 2024/25 financial year.
  
  
• The mitigation priorities are as follows:
  • Continue development of the CAP’s mitigation actions, in preparation for a draft to go to Council in 2025/26.
  • Finalise and publish the Council’s Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategy.
  • Progress the development of a Greenspace Strategy which consolidates the current Green Network Strategy and Open Space Strategy, setting out the contribution of this agenda to the CAP.
  • Progress preparation of the new Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3), which contains revised policies to strengthen carbon emission reduction and climate change adaptation.
  • Continue the development of the Council’s Active Travel Strategy.

The adaptation priorities are as follows:

• • Continue development of the CAP’s adaptation actions in preparation for a draft to go to Council in FY2025/26.
  • Investigate scope for the development of a Nature Based Investment Fund to bolster biodiversity, build climate resilience and support offsetting residual emissions.
  • Identify opportunities for woodland planting and adaptation actions across the Council’s own estate and delivering adaptation-related CAP early actions, including supporting the Clyde Climate Forest project and progressing urban canopy proposal in the emerging Greenspace Strategy and LDP3.
  • Progress river restoration projects for the Glazert Water and Kelvin Tributaries, and complete a feasibility study on adaptation opportunities, nature recovery and climate change mitigation benefits in the Kelvin Valley.
  • Progress Surface Water Management Plans for Bearsden, Bishopbriggs and Milngavie.
    
    
• The completed PBCCD report must be sent to the Scottish Government by 30 November 2024. A full copy of the completed report can be provided by the Sustainability Policy Team upon request.
  
  
• If Members wish to convey any comments through this process, please direct them to kline@eastdunbarton.gov.uk by 5pm 27 November 2024.

[1] World Meteorological Organization (2024) Greenhouse gas concentrations surge again to new record in 2023

[2] Adaptation Scotland (2022) Climate change trends and projections

[3] BBC (2024) Official: Parts of Scotland had a record-breaking wet summer - BBC News

[4] BBC (2023) Scotland's climate 'changing faster than expected' - BBC News

[5] Scottish Government (2019) Appendix B: Environmental Baseline - Scottish climate change adaptation programme 2019-2024: strategic environmental assessment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

[6]East Dunbartonshire Council (2023) SUSTAINABILITY CLIMATE CHANGE FRAMEWORK ACTION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT 2023 CARBON MANAGEMENT PLAN .pdf