City Profile Birmingham
Introduction General information Organization of energy and climate policies Birmingham, metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, has a population of 1,028,700 people on an area of 267,77 km 2. It is the second biggest city in the United Kingdom after London and the Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK with 120 councillors representing 40 wards. Six officers are responsible for the coordination of climate and energy policies. Furthermore, there are involved: 30 officers from the Development Directorate: 28 with a focus on the Transport Strategy, 2 with a focus on the Planning Strategy 4 officers from the Urban Design working on the energy management and 2 officers from the Department for Children, Young People and Families who organize school projects. The cooperation between the Development Directorate, which is responsible for energy and climate policies, the Department for Environment & Culture and the Department for Homes & Neighbourhoods, who are working on related aspects, is very good. The city has several strategic groups which assist this working relationship like the Carbon Reduction Management Board. Relevant stakeholders Birmingham Energy Savers Executive Board has high-level cross functional representation from Homes and Neighbourhoods and Development Directorates. It also includes representatives from Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, local social housing landlords and the community. It oversees the management of the Energy Savers programme 1. Outside the City Council there are numerous other actors involved into the city s energy and climate strategy: Energy: Cofely District Energy, Eon, British Gas Transportation: Centro, Veolia, National Express, Highways Agency, Network Rail, Amey plc, Local enterprises: Midlands Environment Business, Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership Universities: University of Birmingham, Aston University, Birmingham City University, Non-Profit-Organisations: Sustainability West Midlands, Birmingham Environmental Partnership, Friends of the Earth The Birmingham Environmental Partnership (BEP) programme brings together the public, private and non-profit sector to work together to make Birmingham a more attractive and environmentally sustainable city. The BEP has been established to form the basis of wider consultation and stakeholder engagement. The new delivery groups under the new BEP has been reshaped to provide a more focussed approach on accelerating actions January 2012 1
to help deliver the city s overall carbon emissions reduction target of 60% by 2026 on the baseline 1990. The new Partnership was agreed by the Cabinet Committee Climate Change and Sustainability in March 2011. In July 2011 the Cabinet Committee agreed the formation of six new Delivery Groups, each with an independent Chair, focussing on: Low Carbon Buildings Low Carbon Energy Low Carbon Transport Resource Efficiency and Waste Clean City Green Infrastructure and Adaptation This new arrangement reports to the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Sustainability. The BEP Executive Board comprises of the chairmen of the new Delivery Groups and also includes additional members from MEBC (Midlands Environment Business), SWM (Sustainability West Midlands) and from the community. The key priority areas, which these Delivery Groups will support in providing additional delivery leadership on the high priorities necessary to make Birmingham a truly sustainable city towards our 2026 target, include: The development of a City Energy Plan The actions arising from the Sustainable Transport Plan A Green Infrastructure Plan Birmingham Energy Savers The Places for the Future SPD (Supplementary Planning Document) Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan Targets and programmes Total Waste Strategy In addition the city has run a wider civic society Sustainability Forum to engage and consult with a wider range of community, public and stakeholder groups, which meets at least three times a year. In 2009 the City of Birmingham signed the Covenant of Mayors and submitted a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) in 2011. Birmingham has committed to reduce CO 2 emissions by 42% by the year 2020 and by 60% until 2026 against 1990. Besides the SEAP Birmingham has developed several concepts and strategies addressing local energy policies and the CASCADE main themes buildings, renewables and transport. These are the Climate Change Action Plan 2010, the Energy Strategy, Birmingham s 2015 Declaration, the Sustainable Communities Strategy 2026, the Council Plan 2010-2026 and addressing only the transport sector the Low Carbon Transport Strategy. The Core Strategy 2026, the Local Transport Plan and the Birmingham January 2012 2
European, national and regional framework Housing Plan also have indirect impact on the level of CO 2 emissions by achieving a modal shift from private to public transport, encourage cycling, walking and intelligent transport choices and encourage major investment in upgrading social housing through improved insulation, double glazing, and condensing boilers. Context The cities in the UK have some legal obligations and responsibilities concerning emission reduction and energy saving. Up to Autumn 2010 the cities were responsible for reporting back on specific National Indicators relating to emission reduction through a Local Area Agreement, at which point the new central government ceased the need for local authorities to report National Indicators performance. Due to the Carbon Reduction Commitment there has been an introduction of Carbon tax to reduce emissions and financial liability. The Code for Sustainable Homes, covered in the City s Core Strategy, defines the sustainable performance of domestic homes. It is required to meet defined levels 1, and is a legal requirement for developers, enforced through Building Regulations. Main measures The Core Strategy contains draft policies and requirements for developers to consider connection to district energy schemes and utilise CHP. The City Council has consulted on a new Supplementary Planning Document Places for the Future to strengthen the City s sustainable development standards. This will be adopted formerly by early 2013. For implementing climate policies in the city, Birmingham s representatives see the Climate Change Act 2008 and Feed in Tariffs (FiTs) as a supportive aspect. General hindering aspects are the reduction of public finance, Media attitudes (e.g. anti climate change messages) and the public s personal lifestyles. Energy Efficient Buildings and Districts The main measures concerning the theme Energy Efficient Buildings and Districts focus on the city s own estate and operations, the residential sector and the commercial and industrial sector. The target for the city s own estate and operations is a reduction of 25% by 2015 of CO 2 emissions. This is to be achieved through the Council s business January 2012 3
transformation programme working for the future, covering flexible working, property management and monitoring and management of energy use. In addition there is a Sustainable Energy Current State Assessment, which will be agreed in due course, which is encompassing, but not limited to, the Carbon Management Plan for Birmingham City Council operations. This will address increasing energy prices and the rationalisation of estates. Hindering aspects are the reduced public finance and variations in the building structures. A carbon emissions reduction in residential buildings is addressed by the Birmingham Energy Savers programme since 2009, a programme launched by Birmingham City Council. The programme includes several aspects like retrofitting homes, insulation, replacement of lighting, appliances and boilers and installation of smart meters, retrofitting ground/air heat pumps, replacing demolished domestic buildings and installation of solar thermal panels and biomass boilers. The Green Deal on the national level supports local programmes like the Birmingham Energy Savers. Hindering factors are changes introduced by Government in November 2011 to the Feed in Tariffs incentives, which introduced major uncertainty and disruption to the solar PV industry. This is still not stabilised. Also the behavioural change of the participants is one hindering aspect. To reduce carbon emissions in the commercial and industrial sector demolition of commercial and industrial buildings takes place to be replaced by more efficient buildings as well as refurbishment of satisfactory stock. Inefficient lighting and ground and air source heat pumps for heating and cooling in non-domestic buildings are retrofitted and smart metering is installed in SME premises. Feed in tariffs and the Carbon Reduction Commitment of the City Council have supportive effects here but changes to Government policies were hindering for the implementation: In Autumn 2010, Carbon Reduction Commitment was changed from cap and trade to a straight-forward carbon tax. Another efficiency measure is the replacement of public street lighting. The 25 years contract between the Highways Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and the Amey Plc. commenced in July 2010 foresees the interim targets of at least a 30% replacement by 2015 and 50% by 2026. Knowing the energy and revenue savings and the carbon reduction supported the implementation of this measure but still the initial infrastructure costs are seen as a hindering aspect. Birmingham has a well established network of partners through Birmingham Environmental Partnership, bringing together a range of public, private, voluntary and academic professionals. The city s expertise in Energy Efficient Buildings and Districts is on a high level and can be shared with other cities. Nonetheless, the city would still like to learn from others. Self assessment Main measures January 2012 4
Renewable Energy Sources and Distributed Generation In the field of Renewable Energy Sources and Distributed Energy Generation Birmingham wants to increase photovoltaic on domestic homes in Birmingham, increase combined heat and power (CHP) and develop district heating from biomass. Through the Birmingham Energy Savers programme (see chapter Energy Efficient Buildings and Districts ) the city aims to install 14MW of non domestic solar PV on 2000 homes. Supportive factors for the implementation were the increase of energy prices, political support, prudential borrowing and the national green deal programme. But changes in incentives, behavioural change buy-in from owner-occupiers to commit investment in order to reduce energy bills in the longer term and the structural viability of buildings to retrofit are seen as hindering aspects. Self assessment Main measures Self assessment Birmingham plans to develop additional opportunities from non-recyclable waste and biomass to increase CHP from 2.6 to 50 MWe and extend existing networks. Birmingham also supports and develops full scale versions of labbased technologies for alternative fuels. To increase CHP in the city, funding availability was difficult. But the Birmingham District Energy Company and a strong potential network along with strong academic research facilities were supportive factors for the implementation in 2007. To develop district heating from biomass whilst increasing the biomass supply chain is difficult due to reduced public finance but also due to the availability and supply of feedstock and fuel. The energy source for district heating being renewable is a positive factor and Birmingham s Forest Initiative, commencing in 2012, will consider supplies of biomass. In the field Renewable Energy Sources and Distributed Energy Generation Birmingham sees itself working on a high level, however, they would like to learn more from other cities, especially in the development of district generation. Energy in Urban Transport In the field Energy in Urban Transport Birmingham mentioned two main measures. In 2010 the city decided that all vehicles of the City Council s fleet have to run on electricity or LPG by 2015, which will reduce their emissions by 25%. Furthermore, in cooperation with manufacturers and suppliers Birmingham develops an Action Plan to promote electric vehicles. Eighteen charging points were installed in the city centre and a wider installation of charging points throughout the city and outlying city areas is planned. Supportive aspects were the Green Fleet Review and the adoption of electric vehicles as pool cars. Again the reduced public finance has been hindering for the project as well. January 2012 5
Birmingham representatives would classify themselves as middle class in the city s expertise of Energy in Urban Transport. They can share their expertise with others and would also like to learn. Financing The annual financial resources dedicated to local energy policies have been increased from 2009/2010 to 2011/2012. However, it has to be distinguished between the energy and the transport sector since the Transport Strategy had a decreasing Budget from 12 Mio in 2009/2010 to 6.3 Mio in 2011/2012. Resources for Energy Management were increased from 1.01 Mio to 1.05 Mio and resources for renewables (Programme: Birmingham Energy Savers) got a great increase from 57.000 to 14.9 Mio. For financing Birmingham uses prudential borrowings, ERDF and other European funding, Central Government resources and private funding. Emission Inventories and Monitoring Birmingham generated an inventory once in 2005. The inventory examines the use of energy in buildings and for transport, both fossil fuels and from sources of renewable energy. Using emission factors that are appropriate for the UK, the resulting carbon emissions can be calculated for buildings and for transport. The assessment does not take into account issues such as carbon embedded in construction materials, emissions associated with movement of goods (apart from the fuel used for transport within the UK) or emissions relating to air travel. Finally, the inventory looks at electricity and heat/cold produced in the local area from renewable energy systems, from energy from waste or other district energy centres. Items included in the baseline inventory and action plans are intended to relate to local initiatives and not to include large generation facilities that might be part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme or form a major part of the UK s power supply. A limit of 20MW per site is applied to filter out these kinds of generation facility on the basis that they are likely to fall outside of local control. In Birmingham s case, generating facilities such as the Energy from Waste plant at Tyseley have a capacity for electricity generation that is greater than this limit; it is included in Birmingham s baseline because it is under municipal control. CO 2 -inventory January 2012 6
Private Households Commercial Sector Industry City Council and Operations Street Lighting Transport Total 2,434,870 t 558,783 t 2,188,483 t 183,269 t 30,996 t 1,579,150 t 6,975,551 t Birmingham has not yet implemented a monitoring tool for its measures but they have some experiences in monitoring: Extracted data through the City s Urban Design s display Energy Certificates which indicates the buildings energy efficiency, this was used to determine which of the least efficient buildings received eco refurbishment. To report back on Local Area Agreement National Indicator 186: Per capita CO 2 emissions in the local authority area, used a local indicator to demonstrate the tonnes of CO 2 saved by public, private, domestic and voluntary sectors. Undertaken Local Indicator each year since 2008/9 on actions which can be audited to have reduced carbon emissions in various public and private sector bodies. This has increased from 103,000 tonnes in 2008/9 to 153,000 tonnes reduction in 2010/11. Future Visions and Expectations Birmingham prepares new sustainable development policies and guidance within a new Core Strategy spatial planning framework and also more detailed draft sustainable planning guidance called Places for the Future. Both are to be approved formally in 2012/13. Furthermore, the city would like to create robust partnerships with the private sector and identify new sources of funding, particularly private funding and targeting European funding. January 2012 7
Doeppersberg 19 42103 Wuppertal GERMANY City Birmingham Development Directorate England www.cascadecities.eu CASCADE is a EU-funded project coordinated by EUROCITIES which aims to design and deliver largescale networking and mutual learning actions on local energy leadership among members of the EUROCITIES network. The CASCADE consortium is composed of: EUROCITIES, Wuppertal Institut, Koucky & Partners and the following cities: Amaroussion, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Burgas, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Gateshead, Genoa, Gijon, Malmo, Mannheim, Milan, Nantes, Stockholm, Sunderland, Tampere, Terrassa, Venice and Warsaw. The CASCADE project is co-financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. January 2012 8