Damning report claims Bristol failing on climate action progress

An independent committee responsible for holding Bristol to account on climate action has warned that more must be done to meet 2030 net zero targets.

The latest report of the Bristol Advisory Committee on Climate Change (BACCC) says a significant increase in pace and scale of action is required.

The report reviews progress on the One City Climate Strategy, launched in March 2020 to define Bristol’s targets for climate resilience and carbon emission neutrality.

Bristol City Council was the first in the UK to declare a climate emergency in November 2018. The strategy lays out its ambitious climate targets, including a carbon neutral council by 2025 and net zero emission city by 2030.

But the report says “progress is not yet sufficient or widespread enough to meet the ambitions of the One City Climate Strategy.”

? We set up #Bristol‘s Advisory Committee on Climate Change for independent expert scrutiny, and welcome today’s report

?️ @KyeDudd on @BristolCityLeap’s £630m clean energy plan to 2028, and needing national and global change to build on our progress: https://t.co/h2YfIgdxrS pic.twitter.com/hw7rmvHVnN

— Marvin Rees (@MarvinJRees) May 22, 2023

BACCC warned the city has begun to see the impacts of a changing climate.

“Bristol is already experiencing higher temperatures, wetter winters, flood events, summer heatwaves and drought,” the report reads.

“These create risks for public health, the natural environment and infrastructure amongst others.”

It advises much is left to be done: “The One City Climate Strategy is not a delivery plan and does not plot the route to achievement… At present there are no plans to deliver the goals of each theme.”

It also acknowledges that progress may have been halted by the pandemic, and notes advances have been made in some areas.

The Bristol City Leap partnership is seen as a positive step for climate action progress – photo: Bristol City Leap

For example, the January 2023 City Leap partnership between Bristol City Council and renewable energy company Ameresco has been hailed a significant milestone, with plans to invest ‘at least’ £424m in decarbonisation over the next five years.

But similar major investment will be needed in all ten areas of the strategy to meet emission reduction targets by 2030.

With government net zero targets set at 2050, national action is moving more slowly then local targets demand, and the extra investment needed from central initiatives is not yet available.

BACCC also suggest progress has been delayed by the lack of a clear leader for each of the strategy’s themes.

Reviewing these, they advise progress is too little and too slow on buildings, electricity, heat decarbonisation, consumption and waste, business and economy, public services, and food.

For transport, natural environment and infrastructure, significant effort is required to get progress back on track.

Transport has a significant role to play in the city’s carbon emissions reduction – photo: Martin Booth

Transport, an issue close to many hearts in Bristol, has a major role to play in carbon emissions reduction.

The new Clean Air Zone intends to rapidly reduce air pollution in the centre. The council is offering active travel support to reduce reliance on cars including cycling trials, eScooter credit and bus taster tickets. Loans are available to support a switch to cleaner vehicles.

Bus uptake remains low, however. In a further twist, First Bus recently announced a major new fleet of electric buses but Bristol is not among the areas that will benefit.

In transport decision-making, the report states, “car-based mobility still dominates current and planned investment,” despite the declared One City goal of a 40 per cent reduction in vehicle miles by 2030.

Air travel is only lightly touched upon in the report. Bristol airport numbers have reportedly bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, and BACCC’s only associated recommendation is to assess the travel policies of local major employers such as universities and the NHS.

Nature provides benefits to people in the city but its protection isn’t covered in climate change plans – photo: Martin Booth

Similarly, despite its central role in climate impact and action, the natural environment appears overlooked in both strategy and review.

The lack of an effective action plan for nature is surprising given not only the pivotal role it plays in the climate crisis, but also the positive impacts nature can have on quality of life for city dwellers.

Food is another theme close to many hearts and central to the climate conversation.

Bristol-based researchers with ambitions for a resilient, climate and nature-friendly local food system have been active for over a decade. Joy Carey produced Who feeds Bristol? Towards a resilient food plan in 2011. The report informed the Bristol Good Food Plan, with creation of a “truly sustainable food city” as a core aim.

BACCC make 12 recommendations to accelerate progress on goals, including greater collaboration between departments working on overlapping themes such as nature, the ecological emergency, development and transport.

They suggest increased engagement with climate change impacts and action is required. The Community Climate Action Project has gone some way to increase awareness, diversifying the communities taking action for a healthier environment citywide.

Finally, the report recommends that the One City Climate Strategy be refreshed no later than 2025.

Kye Dudd is a Labour councillor for Southmead and cabinet member for climate, ecology, waste and energy – photo: Bristol City Council

Kye Dudd, the council’s cabinet member for climate, has acknowledged not enough has been done and suggests external investment is needed to make progress.

Commenting on the report, Dudd said: “After more than a decade of national austerity, we need meaningful change in the UK and globally to unlock the further finance required for Bristol and other cities to build on our progress in tackling the climate emergency.”

He made no further suggestions for increasing local action.

To keep within recommended timeframes, the One City team now has just 18 months to develop delivery plans and get goals back on track before the next review assesses whether there is any hope of meeting the city’s 2030 net zero targets.

This piece of independent journalism is supported by The Extra Mile and Bristol24/7 public and business membership.

Main photo: Mia Vines Booth

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