Oxford City Responds To Stern Report

12.00.00am GMT Fri 29th Dec 2006

There is a cliché much favoured by those of us committed to the importance of council politics: think global, act local. In no sphere is this as relevant as environmental policy.

The Lib Dems launched their Green Tax Switch campaign, showing how environmentally-damaging behaviour could be changed and income tax could be cut by making the polluter pay. And the publication of the Stern Report highlighted for everyone the potentially devastating consequences of ignoring the threat posed by global warming.

Oxford City Council has not forgotten its responsibilities. Though global warming will only really be tackled at an international level, there is still no excuse for all of us doing what we can to 'go green' - whether by recycling more, or reducing our dependence on the car.

The Council recently produced a briefing on the Stern Report, and included a section on what actions are being taken locally to ensure that Oxford takes a lead in tackling climate change. It's well worth a read:

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STERN REPORT BRIEFING

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Summary:

> There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change if we take strong action now.

> Climate change could have very serious impacts for growth and development.

> The costs of stabilising the climate are significant but manageable; delay would be dangerous and more costly.

> Action on climate change is required across all countries, and it need not cap the aspirations for growth for rich or poor countries.

> A range of options exists to cut emissions; strong, deliberate policy action is required to motivate their take-up.

> Climate Change demands an international response, based on a shared understanding of long-term goals and agreement on frameworks for action.

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Key actions

The dangers:

> All countries will be affected by climate change, but the poorest countries will suffer earliest and most.

> Average temperatures could rise by 5C from pre-industrial levels if climate change goes unchecked.

> Warming of 3 or 4C will result in many millions more people being flooded. By the middle of the century 200 million may be permanently displaced due to rising sea levels, heavier floods and drought.

> Warming of 4C or more is likely to seriously affect global food production.

> Warming of 2C could leave 15-40% species facing extinction.

> Before the industrial revolution level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere was 280 parts per million (ppm) CO2 equivalent (CO2e); the current level is 430ppm CO2e. The level should be limited to 450-550ppm CO2.

> Anything higher would substantially increase risks of very harmful impacts. Anything lower would impose very high adjustment costs in the near term and might not even be feasible.

> Deforestation is responsible for more emissions than the transport sector.

> Climate change is the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen.

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Stern recommended actions

> Three elements of policy are required for an effective response: carbon pricing, technology policy and energy efficiency.

> Carbon pricing, through taxation, emissions trading or regulation, will show people the full social costs of their actions. The aim should be a global carbon price across countries and sectors.

> Emissions trading schemes, like that operating across the EU, should be expanded and linked.

> Technology policy should drive the large-scale development and use of a range of low-carbon and high-efficiency products.

> Globally, support for energy research and development should at least double; support for the deployment of low-carbon technologies should be increased by up to five times.

> International product standards could be introduced.

> Large-scale international pilot programmes to explore the best ways to curb deforestation should be started very quickly.

> Climate change should be fully integrated into development policy, and rich countries should honour pledges to increase support through overseas development assistance.

> International funding should support improved regional information on climate change impacts.

> International funding should go into researching new crop varieties that will be more resilient to drought and flood.

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Economic impacts

> The benefits of strong, early action considerably outweigh the costs.

> Unabated climate change could cost the world at least 5% of GDP each year; if more dramatic predictions come to pass, the cost could be more than 20% of GDP.

> The cost of reducing emissions could be limited to around 1% of global GDP; people could be charged more for carbon-intensive goods.

> Each tonne of CO2 we emit causes damages worth at least $85, but emissions can be cut at a cost of less than $25 a tonne.

> Shifting the world onto a low-carbon path could eventually benefit the economy by $2.5 trillion a year.

> By 2050, markets for low-carbon technologies could be worth at least $500bn.

> What we do now can have only a limited effect on the climate over the next 40 or 50 years, but what we do in the next 10-20 years can have a profound effect on the climate in the second half of this century.

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Oxford City Council context

Since the publication of the Stern report, the new OCC post of Climate Change Officer has been filled, and this will help drive forward and implement the council's climate change action plan. OCC has also applied to take part in the next phase (Phase 5 - May 07) of the Carbon Trust administered - Local Authority Carbon Management Programme (LACMP). The programme forecasts energy related cost savings of between 5.7 to 8.7% (cost savings) and 12-20% CO2 emissions savings with full compliance.

New work underway on the climate change action plan includes estimating a robust and reliable emissions baseline (2005) for Oxford City Council operations so that progress can be monitored annually in a consistent manner. Without measuring emissions we cannot effectively manage reductions in emissions.

The council has also recently engaged with a range of other parties in the region to work towards concerted action on climate change. This includes working with both Oxford universities and County Council via the Sustainable Institutions Group of Oxford Inspires (an Oxford climate change summit is planned for early 2007); participation in the newly created Oxfordshire Climate Change Partnership Work via these groups will enable more efficient and effective use of resources through exchange of ideas and approaches to tackling climate change.

As part of the Climate change action plan, the council will continue raising awareness of climate change issues and actions with local businesses and the general public with participation in the Oxford Strategic Partnership being one vehicle for achieving this aim.