Annual update 2021

Contents

1. Theme 1 - Reducing emissions in Council buildings
2. Theme 2 - Streetlighting
3. Theme 3 - Transportation and travel
4. Theme 4 - Environment and biodiversity
5. Theme 5 - Schools
6. Theme 6 - South Tyneside Council Housing Services operations
7. Theme 7 - Procurement
8.  Theme 8 - Policy
9. Theme 9 - Adaptation
10. Theme 10 - Cultural change and awareness
11. Theme 11 - Championing a carbon neutral future
12. Our carbon emissions
13. Future delivery plans
14. Member engagement and governence
15. Delivering a sustainable future
16. Financial and value for money implications
17. Legal implications
18. Risk and opportunities implications
19. Equality and diversity implications
20. Environmental and sustainability implications

Theme 1 - Reducing emissions in Council buildings

Viking Energy Network Jarrow (VENJ)

VENJ is a £11.8 million renewable energy scheme which is the first of its kind in the UK. Due to the cutting-edge nature of the scheme, the Council have been successful in securing £3.5 million in ERDF funding.

Water source heat pumps will extract water from the River Tyne, which will then be compressed to increase the temperature, converting this into useful heat energy in the form of hot water, distributing this through a network of insulated pipes to nine public sector buildings across Jarrow.

A 1-megawatt solar farm (solar panels) will generate most of the electricity to power the heat pump with a combined heat and power (CHP) back-up system in place when the solar panels do not generate enough electricity. The system will use heat that is created during the electricity generation process, which would otherwise be wasted. Battery storage will be in place to capture any excess electricity from the solar farm, which will then be distributed via a private electrical network to Council buildings. The scheme will run close to carbon neutral for most of the summer.

VENJ will save over 1,035 tonnes of carbon emissions resulting in a 6% reduction against the Councils baseline position.

Hebburn Minewater

Hebburn Minewater is an £8 million energy scheme; which has secured £3.85 million ERDF funding, again being one of the first of its kind in the UK. This unique scheme will provide a sustainable heat source through the utilisation of a heat pump coupled with CHP systems supported with thermal storage and boilers to extract heat from former coal seams.

Through 300 metre-deep boreholes, this exciting and innovative project will extract geo-thermal energy from disused flooded mines in the former Hebburn Colliery. The energy will be distributed across three public sector buildings in Hebburn, including a large leisure facility and a high-rise residential block. 

This project is expected to see a reduction of 319 tonnes of carbon emissions per annum.

Holborn Energy Scheme

Holborn is another exciting and innovative project currently in development. The proposal will see the establishment of an energy centre that will generate heat and electricity across the Borough's largest town - South Shields. The scheme innovative by design will use elements of both the Hebburn and Viking Energy schemes, taking water/heat from mines and the River Tyne.

The Council has been successful in securing £4 million from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme for the drilling of boreholes, with work now underway following planning approval. Future phases (post borehole drilling) are subject to funding. The Council is working with the Heat Delivery Network Unit (HNDU) to hopefully secure around 70% of this £20 million project, with additional funding sources being explored.

It is estimated that this scheme will result in a carbon saving of 2,400 tonnes per annum, with potential expansion opportunities seeing this increase further.

Once complete, this will see large-scale sustainable energy networks across all three towns within South Tyneside.

Not only will this cut our annual CO2 emissions by thousands of tonnes, it will help in our pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030, while improving the energy efficiency of buildings helping to tackle fuel poverty across the Borough.

Public-Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

The Council successfully secured £8 million under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to fund 26 decarbonisation projects across the Borough.

The scheme will see energy efficient heat pumps, replacing gas fired boilers; LED lighting upgrades across 9 Council sites; roof mounted solar PV installations; battery storage; solar thermal installations and building fabric improvements.

It is anticipated that over 420 tonnes of carbon will be saved each year due to the implementation of low carbon energy solutions.

Middlefields Renewable Energy Scheme

The newly constructed recycling facility has seen the installation of 100kWp Solar PV, supporting on-site electricity generation, resulting in approximately 80,000kWh of electricity generated annually.

Further plans at Middlefields include the installation of 900kWp Wind Turbine, supported with battery storage. 

The onsite generating capacity at Middlefields will help deliver a further 401 tonnes of carbon emission reductions.

These 4 schemes alone will see an anticipated reduction of 2,175 tonnes of carbon emissions, a 13% reduction against the baseline (51% reduction against the 3-year target).

Fully Renewable Electricity Contract

On 1 April 2021 the Council moved its electricity supply contract to a fully Clean and Renewable Energy supply, further demonstrating the Councils commitment towards climate change.

While the purchase of renewable electricity allows the Council to report zero carbon emissions for its electricity use through the utilisation of the Renewable Energy Guarantees Certification of Origin (REGO), the decision has been made to continue to focus on implementing actions and investing in the improvement of buildings and operations to support the delivery of carbon emission reductions.

However, street lighting is one area in which the Council will utilise the use of the REGO certification. While it is acknowledged that significant capital investment has, and continues to take place supporting significant emission reductions, there will be an ongoing challenge in relation to how we address the residual streetlighting emissions once these works have been completed. It is therefore intended that from 2021/22 future street lighting emissions will be offset using the REGO certification.

Theme 2 - Streetlighting

Operating streetlights across South Tyneside accounts for a significant proportion of the Council's electricity and reported carbon emissions.

Streetlighting is a key priority of the Council, with significant improvements already taking place through the replacement of existing sodium streetlights to light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

The LED upgrades have seen significant reductions to streetlighting carbon emissions, with 760 tonnes of carbon emissions removed between 2018 / 19 to 2020 / 21, a 4% reduction against the baseline.

Theme 3 - Transportation and travel

The construction of a new recycling facility at Middlefields is now complete. The new facility allows up to 20,000 tonnes of blue bin materials to be delivered locally, reducing vehicle emissions by 400 tonnes, 2% reduction against the baseline.

The Council continues to drive forward its aspiration of a greener Borough, by introducing three new electric vans to its fleet. The new vans along with future additions will feature a distinctive Sustainable South Tyneside branding on them so they stand out, helping to raise awareness, promoting the importance of a sustainable and brighter future for all.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming an increasingly prominent fixture across transport systems, to support this transition the Council continues to expand its network of 38 electric vehicle charge points across the Borough with a further 19 due to be installed within coming months, further enhancing the EV charging infrastructure across South Tyneside.

Theme 4 - Environment and biodiversity

Tree planting is an integral part of the Councils approach using nature-based solutions to sequester and store carbon emissions from the atmosphere. 

A recent tree canopy assessment has been undertaken across South Tyneside, highlighting that the average canopy coverage across the borough is 16%, already exceeding UK standards for Coastal Towns, which is 15%.

Urban trees provide a diverse range of benefits to those that live and work in the Borough, providing a sense of place, moderate extremes of high temperatures, improve air quality and act as a carbon sink.

Trees play a key role in relation to sustainability, resilience, along with carbon sequestration and storage capacity, helping to address the impacts of a changing climate. The recent assessment highlights the ecosystem delivery benefits, which includes 3,016 tonnes of CO2 being sequestered on an annual basis, with South Tyneside Urban Forest storing an estimated 75,747 tonnes of carbon.

The Council has a continued focus on tree planting, striving towards the planting of 3,000 trees per annum. In 2018 / 19 the Council planted 5,332 trees and in 2019 / 20 a further 3,961 trees.

The Council is currently developing an urban forest webmap, which will display the composition and value of the Borough's trees, highlighting the ecosystem services they provide.

The interactive map will display results in a way that residents can see how much air pollution trees are removing; how much storm water is being diverted and how much carbon is being stored.

The Council has also joined with other North East LA's to support the delivery of the North East Community Forest. The forest will help assist in achieving carbon neutral goals through woodland and tree planting activities, with each authority agreeing to invest to plant a total of 500 hectares of trees and woodland over a 4 year period.

In addition to tree planting, South Tyneside Council is supporting a partnership project to create additional mudflats and saltmarshes along the banks of the Tyne. The Tyne Estuary project involves placing natural wooden structures into the bed of the estuary edge. This will allow mudflats to develop, then saltmarsh plants to grow.

Mudflats and saltmarshes are rare habitats that were once commonplace on the Tyne, by revitalising and restoring them we will see the utilisation of nature-based solutions that will play a significant role in capturing and storing carbon emissions, while supporting increased biodiversity and population growth of key species making them more resilient to climate change.

Theme 5 - Schools

Schools are fundamental in the response to the threats facing our planet, as they provide a place of education and community engagement. Educating and empowering our children to take action now, and in the future will play a significant and fundamental role, helping to minimise the catastrophic effects of climate change.

As part of the Council's commitment towards carbon neutrality, a Climate Change Toolkit has been produced specifically for schools across South Tyneside. The toolkit provides schools with the necessary support and guidance to help identify, develop and deliver actions that bring about real change, supporting reductions in carbon emissions, while enhancing the school's natural environment.

Divided into 9 key delivery areas, the toolkit provides a clear and structured framework, detailing the steps that can be taken to help drive and deliver progress across the key delivery themes of:

• Policy
• Reducing Carbon Emissions
• Environment and Biodiversity
• Travel
• Waste
• Procurement and Consumption
• Food and Catering
• Adaptation and Cultural Change

Every school across the Borough has been offered a free fruit tree. Fruit trees represent a huge opportunity for schools. They provide direct benefit to our climate and natural environment: sequestering carbon in the long-term, improving air quality and providing a habitat for wildlife.

Theme 6 - South Tyneside Council Housing Services operations

The Council has successfully secured £5.4 million in funding to help cut carbon emissions from housing. The Green Homes Grant (GHG) funding will be used to upgrade Council housing stock through a range of energy improvement and de-carbonisation measures.

The funding will see the replacement of UPVC windows with triple glazing; replacement of failed roofs with solar roofs; cavity wall insulation along with loft insulation. The funding will also be used to gain a better understanding of the energy ratings of homes through assessments and the use of additional monitoring equipment to measure energy use.

The improvement works will help residents with their fuel bills, while helping to reduce fuel poverty in the borough.

Theme 7 - Procurement

The Council procures a significant amount of goods and services every year, it is therefore imperative that we utilise the procurement process effectively to help address the impacts of climate change.

The Council has already implemented a number of improvement measures, including a specific section within the procurement contracting template, focused specifically on sustainability and community benefit considerations.

The Councils procurement strategy 2021 - 24 clearly aligns to the Councils ambition of a carbon neutral future, promoting and delivering local sustainability, economic development and environmental objectives through the inclusion of social values.

Tenders maximise the use of social values, through the inclusion of community benefit clauses in contracts, placing a significant role in promoting and delivering greater environmental sustainability, waste and pollution minimisation, while supporting initiatives and actions that deliver carbon emission reductions, improving sustainability and the natural environment.

Theme 8 - Policy

It is essential that policies are clear and robust, focusing on reducing carbon emissions, while enhancing the natural environment, building climate resilience into systems and services.

The Council is developing and embedding good practice, undertaking initiatives that share learning, experience and skills to support the delivery of improvements. A review of current Council policies and procedures are underway to help identify and establish ways to strengthen and support the reduction of emissions and improve sustainability across the Council.

Theme 9 - Adaptation

Effective measures such as the implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems play a key role in adapting to a changing climate.

Cleadon is an area with a long history of significant surface water flooding to residential and commercial properties. To address this issue the Council has successfully installed sustainable urban drainage solutions instead of traditional drainage methods, which are designed to efficiently and sustainably drain surface water, minimising pollution, while managing the impacts of water quality on local waterways.

The construction of an embankment and storage area at Cleadon will help to hold rainwater back, releasing this slowly without overwhelming the waterways and sewerage systems into which it flows, reducing and removing flooding events.

Similar improvement works have also been completed on Sunderland Road, with the implementation of a new section of drainage ditches, which has helped to increase storage capacity, reducing the amount of surface water entering into drainage systems, freeing up space within the roads drainage system helping to effectively cope with heavy deluges. 

Theme 10 - Cultural change and awareness

Building a wider understanding on the impacts of climate change is widely seen as a critical foundation for change and one, in which we all must embrace.

The Council has embedded climate change into the induction process, in addition to developing a climate change section on the intranet. Monthly all staff emails are also sent on key topic areas providing regular updates on climate change activities.

Theme 11 - Championing a carbon neutral future

As a local leader we have an important role to play, when addressing the impacts of climate change. We must work across different sectors to facilitate and encourage co-ordinated action.

The Council is working to identify opportunities that will support wider community engagement, looking at ways to encourage and empower residents and businesses to participate and act in the fight against a changing climate.

Our carbon emissions

The baseline emission position is broken down across 3 key areas of electricity, gas, and fleet. Gas accounts for 47% of all emissions being reported, followed by electricity at 42% and fleet at 11%.

There are a number of areas excluded from South Tyneside Councils carbon emission reporting, these include:

Schools that are not managed or operated by South Tyneside Council (i.e. Academies, PFIs, Trusts and Voluntary Aided schools)

• Tenanted Factory Units
• Social Housing Stock
• Short-term hired vehicles

While there are a few areas of exclusion, it was recognised that the Council would use its advocacy role to effectively support and influence climate actions across the wider community.

To achieve the 3 year reduction target the Council must see a reduction of 4,285 tonnes of CO2 by March 2023.

When comparing 2020 / 21 emission figures against the baseline there has been a reduction of 2,818 tonnes. This equates to 66% of CO2 against the 3-year target and 16% against the overall baseline.

Whilst this is a significant step towards the 3 year target it should be noted that the impacts of COVID-19 have distorted reduction figures, due to buildings being closed for a significant period of time and from employees working flexibly.

The Council's delivery ambitions are clear with the development of large-scale strategic delivery projects that will support significant reductions in carbon emissions, working clearly towards the delivery of the 3 year and 5 year interim targets. A summary of carbon reduction areas includes:

The successful delivery of the above schemes will see a potential 29% reduction against the Council's baseline position.

The Council is on target towards the 3 year reduction figure of 25% against the baseline, with the on-going development of new and innovative schemes, supporting progress towards the 5 year emission reduction figure.

Future delivery plans

A number of additional schemes are currently being developed that if delivered will support further reductions:

Glassworks

Glassworks will be the regions first ever net-zero office building. Set over 5 floors, the design and construction process will result in almost a third less carbon, with the buildings operational energy significantly reduced, through the implementation of highly efficient heating, lighting and ventilation systems, with the ability to connect to future renewable district heating network in the town.

Solar panels, LED lighting and heat pumps will help increase the energy efficiency once the building is fully operational.

This flagship development, will see embodied carbon emissions addressed through cement subsitutes and recycled materials, helping to address a third of the embodied carbon emissions during the construction process, with additional capital investment from the Council to address any residual emissions.  

Stronger Shores

South Tyneside Council were recently successful in a £6.4m funding application from the Flood and Resilience Innovation Programme.

The funding will see a wide range of innovative approaches being adopted across a number of optimal sites including South Tyneside in addition to the north-east coastline between Northumberland and Redcar and Cleveland. 

The aim of the project is to improve the understanding of the benefits of UK marine habitats with regards to coastal erosion, flood risk, climate change and biodiversity management using nature based solutions, which will include the restoration of sub-tidal habitats like kelp beds, oyster reefs and sea grass.

The project will apply innovative monitoring techniques to improve the understanding of the influence of existing marine habitats on erosive processes and flood risk within UK coastal areas, identifying and implementing proactive actions to restore and re-introduce marine habitats in locations where it is in decline or not currently present.

Modern Workplace Programme

The Council is moving forward with its Modern Workplace Programme, optimising the use of technological solutions, which will allow Elected Members and employees to be connected from any location.

The COVID19 pandemic has forced us all to work in new and different ways, showing that we are not bound by the traditional methods of work. The implementation and utilisation of digital solutions will help drive and deliver significant environmental benefits, supporting improved air quality, carbon emission reductions and adoption of healthier lifestyles.

Through the use of new digital and technological solutions we will be able to deliver real and recognisable improvements to the environment, by removing the need to commute to and from work and during the working day, supporting emission reductions. The amount of printing and paper waste will reduce as digital approaches are adopted, along with overall building operational costs and associated emissions through reductions in, lighting, heating and electrical equipment use.

Member engagement and governance

To assess the overall impact of activities undertaken, a robust governance structure is in place to help monitor the effectiveness of the actions identified and being delivered, to ensure they are being met effectively.

A Cross Party Members Working Group has been established and meets to receive regular and detailed updates on key themed areas within the strategy, along with significant project developments.

The Members Working Group plays a fundamental role, in relation to the climate change agenda, acting as champions, supporting and influencing behavioural change across the Borough.

Place Select Committee scrutinises progress against the climate change strategy and action plan, providing clear focus and challenge against set delivery objectives, providing advice and recommendations.

The first interim report was presented to Place Select Committee in October 2020.

Delivering a sustainable future

The Council's ambitions are clear and focused with a diverse range of projects, including several large-scale innovative clean energy schemes, which will support future reductions in our carbon emission footprint.

Focused around our 11 key delivery themes our strategic plans, innovative projects along with our commitment and determination to bring about change, highlights a clear roadmap towards removing 17,140 tonnes of CO2 from our operations and activities by 2030.

To meet climate challenges now and in the future, we must develop and implement new models of low carbon growth and climate resilience. Our sustainable ambitions must shape the strategic decisions being made, embedding a culture of climate first across all Council activities.

Financial and value for money implications

The commitment for the Council to be carbon neutral is challenging and will require a series of measures and interventions. To achieve a successful transition to a carbon neutral future by 2030 increased capital and revenue costs will likely be incurred over the current forecast in the MTFP. These changes will need to be considered within the Councils future budget setting and business planning processes when seeking to implement sustainable low carbon alternatives (e.g. fleet). Implemented measures may result in longer term revenue savings.

The procurement process may also be subject to change and could result in additional costs to ensure the impact of procured services align with the Councils intention to be carbon neutral.

The Government have committed to significant investment to tackle climate change. It is important that the Council explores all funding opportunities to support this area of work, maximising delivery opportunities to support carbon neutrality.

Legal implications

The Climate Change Act 2008 has committed the United Kingdom to be carbon neutral by 2050. However, to-date no specific Council delivery targets have been set by Government.

There will need to be recognition of the climate impact throughout the Council's decision-making processes to ensure due regard is considered against the target to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Risk and opportunities implications

The scientific evidence is overwhelming that if we do not act now then the  impact of climate change on our planet may be irreversible. This will result in major implications for future generations within South Tyneside.

As alternative solutions and technological advancements progress across the climate change agenda, it is important that the Council is well positioned to support the implementation of actions that support on-going reductions in carbon emissions, while enhancing the natural environment increasing biodiversity across the borough. 

Although the Councils carbon neutral target is focussed on its own operations there is a significant opportunity for the Council through its existing partnerships, influencing, and advocacy roles to drive Borough wide carbon emission reductions and behavioural change.

The global Covid19 pandemic has seen direct impacts on reported emissions. Buildings and operations have not been operating as usual, with many buildings closed for a significant period of time, this has resulted in a dramatic drop in carbon emissions during 2020 / 21, making it hard to determine the true reduction figures for this period.

Equality and diversity implications

An equality check has been carried out on the proposals set out in this report. No equality and diversity implications were identified.

Environmental and sustainability implications

The actions contained within the climate change strategy focuses on minimising the impact Council operations have on our environment. It seeks to reduce our carbon emissions as far as possible and if necessary, to consider offsetting any remaining emissions so our actions have a carbon neutral impact on the environment.

The strategy places focus on nature-based solutions and on-going enhancement of the natural environment, supporting healthy and diverse ecosystems.