In order to take action on climate change, Walsall Council has identified the following three strategic aims on which to focus its activities:

• Strategic Aim 1: Mitigate climate change by reducing the council’s carbon footprint
• Strategic Aim 2: Understand the impact of climate change on the council and increase the council’s adaptive capacity to climatechange
• Strategic Aim 3: Communicate the impacts of climate change and council activities in 1 and 2 across the borough

These strategic aims form the basis of the climate change strategy:

In 2004, Walsall Borough emitted a total 2075 thousand tonnes of CO2 – enough to fill over 400,000 hot air balloons. Over 45% of this total was for commercial and industrial use and 27% for household and transport use.

CO2 is released when fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are burned for energy to heat and light buildings and streets, power appliances and machinery and fuel transport etc.

Divided by the population of Walsall, this works out at 8 tonnes of CO2 per person (also known as per capita), or 1.5 hot air balloons.

Household emissions per captia were 2.2 tonnes of CO2. This is enough gas to fill over 200,000 party balloons and equivalent to the emisions released if you were to drive 5,500 miles in an average car.

Walsall Council will reduce the council’s carbon footprint through reducing the amount of energy it uses, using the energy it has to use more efficiently and increasing the amount of renewable and low carbon energy used within the borough.

A study into the impacts of climate change in the West Midlands in 2004 indicates that by the 2080s the annual average temperature in the West Midlands will be between 1.5°C and 4.5°C warmer than today. Whilst this may not sound a lot, by way of comparison, a warming of 5°C is similar to the difference between average temperatures experienced today and the average temperature experienced during the last ice age.

Walsall Borough is not static and the population, businesses within the borough and needs of residents and visitors change over time. The Council is already involved in activities relating to business growth, transport, regeneration and is aware of how the population is likely to change up to 2012. This understanding will be considered when planning and delivering the actions identified within the Climate Change Strategy.

Joint work with other key agencies and organisations within the borough will be essential.

Walsall has a population of around 253,000 and over 107,000 residential properties. Whilst the population is predicted to fall the number of households in the West Midlands is set to increase to 109,000 households by 2021 and 111,000 by 2029. This has implications for energy use, transport, service provision and emergency planning. Recent figures indicate an increase in the use of energy for household lighting and appliances. With the growing popularity of home entertainment equipment and increasing use of mechanical cooling systems across the household and business sectors, increases in consumption of energy are likely to continue. Although the traditional manufacturing industry has declined, Walsall lies within one of six major regeneration zones in the region, and as such is a centre for the development of business enterprise, employment and a high quality working and living environment. Regional and regeneration zone partners are working to develop business and workforce capacity in new industries such as Building Technologies. This will increase local demand for energy, transport and land. Road vehicle use is predicted to grow  and traffic levels in the borough may increase by 15% between 2001 and 2011. Transport is a significant source of CO2 emissions (see figure 2 – Walsall CO2) and other greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide. There are also issues of air quality, noise and the impact that transport infrastructure has on landscape, local heritage and biodiversity.

Impacts of climate change in the West Midlands include:

• Higher temperatures in summer will increase demand for water; reducing water availability and drying out soils. Dry soils will increase the risk of building subsidence.
• Buildings overheating, especially in urban areas, will pose health risks at home and reduce workplace productivity.
• Higher winter temperatures will reduce the need for winter heating and lower winter energy bills at home and work, but higher summer temperatures will increase demand for energy for cooling, leading to higher summer fuel bills.
• There will be more opportunity for outdoor recreation, tourism and leisure activities.
• Longer growing seasons, will provide opportunities to grow new types of plants. Plant sensitivity to higher temperatures/ wetter winters and changes to planting and growing seasons will require adjustments to the management of parks, roadside green spaces and gardens.

Using existing regional research and recorded local weather events, the Council will risk assess the potential impact of climate change on its buildings, local infrastructure, and the way in which it manages its services; and increase the adaptive capacity of its services to climate change.

There is still a lack of understanding about how climate change will impact the public and business sectors, households and the services and facilities that attract visitors to the borough. There is also little communication about what the Council is already doing to save energy and improve its environmental performance.

The Council will promote the Strategy and Action Plan, and regularly publicise its achievements and progress towards targets. This will enable other public sector organisations and private business to learn from the Council’s experience. The Council will also communicate through events and written materials, the impact of climate change on the borough and ways in which local residents, workers and visitors can reduce their carbon footprint and increase their adaptive capacity to climate change.  

The Council’s Climate Change Action Plan (see section 5) is structured into eight themes:

• Council buildings and local infrastructure
• Communication and leadership
• Procurement
• Waste
• Housing
• Planning and new development
• Biodiversity
• Transport and transport infrastructure

The three strategic aims are embedded within these eight themes and will enable the Council to meet its climate change vision.

Walsall carbon dioxide emissions by sector 2004, DTI

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/index.htm

This page was last updated on 05 December 2011