7 October 2021
Imagine how different the future may be if everyone understood the urgency and took action now. For example if we travelled more sustainably, changed our diets and created natural solutions to help us adapt. We can imagine less pollution, healthy communities, new and plentiful jobs in a green economy and less flooding. Cumbria could be even richer in wildlife, be a world renowned green tourist destination and remain a wonderful place to live.
Although we do not experience apocalyptic climate events such as large scale wild fires we’ve seen elsewhere in the world, three dramatic and impactful flooding events have taken place in Cumbria during the last two decades.
Our pace of reduction emission must increase and deepen over the coming years if we are to contribute to mitigating the worst of the predicted effects of climate change for our area.
In 2010, the Lake District National Park Partnership (LDNPP), established a carbon budget to measure and support the annual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within the National Park. As a result of LDNPP actions, the 2019 carbon budget estimated that annual emissions were 4.1 per cent down from 2010. Delivering the carbon budget sector by sector, has given an enhanced understanding of emissions pathways and a potential route to net zero. We and our partners have also improved our understanding of how difficult reductions are to achieve.
More recently, the proposed LDNPP Plan 2020 – 2025 has set out to support Cumbria’s 2037 net zero carbon ambition through a variety of transformative actions for climate action, land management and sustainable travel. This Plan estimates a 20 per cent reduction of emissions, from the total required over its planning period. The remaining 80 per cent will have to come from a range of solutions, including closer more coordinated partnership working and with Government led initiatives to create conditions for the step change in reduction that is required by 2025.
The ambition for net zero in Cumbria by 2037, is a shared aim of nearly 70 organisations from the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership (ZCCP), co-chaired by CAfS and Cumbria County Council. In January 2021 CAfS received a National Lottery Climate Action Fund £2.5 million grant, for a five year project to deliver a community led reduction in Cumbria’s carbon emissions.
Leaders in organisations in both partnerships are working well together but need to do more to coordinate activities and influence, share knowledge and resources. The key challenge will be communicating a shift from 1 per cent carbon reduction to an increase of 13 per cent each year. This requires partnerships to function well, learn from each other’s approaches, make decisions that create change and deliver reductions through each sector pathway. The Government must also support this transition with a policy framework and funding that delivers the action required for the crisis we find ourselves in.
In Cumbria, there are many great examples of leadership in communities, in schools and by young people. This brings about hope for the future and optimism that we can pull together.
Staff Blogger
The Lake District National Park Authority’s Team Leader for Strategy and Environment gives his thoughts on how we can work together with our partners to tackle the Climate Emergency.
