The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has announced that the region should beat the UK’s overall target to reach net zero by 2050, by 12 years.
The Mayor has stated that “Greater Manchester wants to be carbon neutral by 2038. Our plan is the UK’s first science based commitment for a city-region like ours, and one of the first of its kind globally.”
Greater Manchester emits 3.6% of
the UK’s annual CO2 emissions
In 2019 the city implemented its 5-year Environmental Plan, this plan contained the city’s commitment to reach net zero by 2038. It has been recorded that Greater Manchester emits 3.6% of the UK’s annual CO2 emissions, and calculations carried out by the UK’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Research have claimed that Greater Manchester needs to lower its emissions by 15%.
Currently transport releases 61% of the city’s emissions. The City is now turning towards the introduction of an electric bus fleet and encouraging people to swap to an electric vehicle. By 2040 the city hopes to have reduced its transport emissions to 50% of their annual CO2 emissions.
Around 34% of Greater Manchester’s emissions come from inside homes, through energy usage such as heating. To reduce the emissions from heat, several low-carbon heat projects, including a hydrogen fuel cell CHP network, and heat pumps from air- and ground sourced heat.
In order for Greater Manchester to reach their target, they must according to the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research, emissions must lower by 13% each year.
