‘Climate Change’ is an emphatic truth: the signs are all around us. For us Rutlanders, the signs are not perhaps as dramatic as melting polar ice caps or vast tracts of land becoming uninhabitable as temperatures soar but nonetheless there are tell – tale signs: reduced insect population, fewer bats, swifts and hedgehogs in our villages and more ‘unusual’ weather patterns. What is clear though, the human species needs to take action, collectively to halt the changes if we are to ensure a planet that is robust and future proof for all.

The UK government has laid out in law that we must bring carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Rutland County Council has declared a Climate Crisis and with that committed to carbon net zero ‘as soon as is viable’ – 2050 set in law but the ambition is to reach this target sooner.

The Committee on Climate Change (a national body) has, with meticulous research, developed the 6th Carbon Budget: this outlines how carbon net zero can be achieved. The needed actions given percentages: 16% has been attributed to the need for societal and behaviour changes, whether this is by looking at transport, food consumption, waste, energy consumption or how we protect the natural landscape ensuring our land usage supports and enhances the natural balance of our world. This is where we come in, as residents, consumers and carbon emitters – each and every one of us can play our part on this journey.

Rutland Climate Action has developed a plan to help us all to do our bit. This is written by the community, for the community. The plan will be reviewed annually, up -dated – used as a working document if you will. Successes will be celebrated; next steps identified but above all we will all know that we work together for the common good – the good of the future generations.

Underlying Principles:

Rutland Climate Action will:
1) Build connections: One Rutland
2) Engage with the whole community, raising awareness
3) Educate and signpost to enable the community to make informed and beneficial choices
4) Measure success by monitoring and evaluating actions taken
5) Ensure that ‘stakeholder’ status is achieved: a united voice will provide evidence-based opinion on policy both at a local and a national government level

(Chapter 9: 6th Carbon Budget)

Ambition:
• We will decrease the amount of waste we produce as a county, and we will have the best recycling rates in the country. We will therefore reduce our carbon emissions.

Rutland Data:
– Info graph – lots available on this: tonnage of waste / household; recycling rates – currently 33rd out of 345 local authorities – at 57% (?) – target of 67%; current contents of a black bin – 40% food; 12% could be recycled etc etc

What will success look like?
1) Tonnage of waste will have decreased.
2) Recycling rates will have increased.
3) % of households composting will have increased.
4) Number of local businesses with accredited sustainability plans (e.g BCorp)

What’s in it for me?
1) Reduction in waste overall will mean a reduction in cost for managing our waste. (The cost of waste management comes out of the revenue raised by our Council Tax).
2) We will, collectively, have a significant impact on the environment both in terms of CO2 emissions but also in terms of reducing the need to process waste items such as plastic.

(Chapter 7: 6th Carbon Budget)

Ambition:
• We will maximise our potential for carbon sequestration in soils, vegetation and trees through proactive support to help statutory agencies, local advice charities, farmers, landowners, land managers, and their agents.
• We will work with partners and agencies to reduce the impacts to agriculture, horticulture, community food production, forestry, and nature conservation resulting from climate change
• We will implement land use mitigation and adaptation strategies to protect food, timber, natural resources, biodiversity, and communities from the impacts of climate change.

Rutland Data:
To come but to include:
• break down of land use for the county

What will success look like?
1) Food waste will have reduced. (data from RCC)
2) Thriving independent foot outlets (numbers counted / noted on an annual basis
3) Collection of anecdotal evidence (Rutland Youth Council: Taste it, don’t waste it)
4) Amount of carbon sequestered
5) Amount of productive land saved from negative impacts of climate change
6) Amount of producers and landowners with their own carbon reduction plan (through carbon footprint and targeted support from local organisations and statutory bodies
7) Increased number of landholdings registered with ELMS
8) Enhanced natural habitat: increase in varieties of plants and wildlife

(Chapter 3: 6^th Carbon Budget)

Ambition:
• All new homes to be net carbon zero by 2030.
• We will meet government targets for energy transformations within national timeframes but with the ambition of achieving this earlier.

Rutland Data:
To come but to include:
– Housing mix: type / age
– Council owned property
– Data regarding current energy supply

What will success look like?
Reduced carbon emissions – year on year comparison
• Lower fuel bills
• Number of homes with Smart meters – no idea if we can get a starting point of numbers??
• Number of new homes built to net zero standards
• Number of homes adapted to use low carbon technologies

What’s in it for me?
• Saving money on fuel bills
• Improved quality of life
• Better health
• Reduced carbon footprint

(Chapter 11: 6^th Carbon Budget)

Ambition:
• Rutland will be the ‘greenest’ county: we will maximise our carbon sequestration; we will be leaders in the field for offsetting. We will nurture natural habitats to ensure wildlife is not negatively impacted by our land usage.

Rutland Data: Where are we now?
– current land use
– numbers of trees: 808615 in Rutland (approximate)
– wildlife: birds / insects etc etc
– current carbon sequestration data
– current river condition

What will success look like?
1) We have increased the number of trees by ???% / number of trees planted.
2) ???% of garden owners will have committed to wilding a part of their garden
3) The number of different species of wildflowers will have increased on our roadside verges.
4) There will be 90% ‘active’ occupation of allotments across the county.
5) All schools will have a designated space / spaces that enhance biodiversity.

What’s in it for me?
1) Beautiful open space to enjoy.
2) Better air quality.
3) More carbon sequestered
4) Improved ecology

(Chapter 2: 6^th Carbon Budget)

Ambition:
• We will increase the amount of cycling and walking and use of public transport in Rutland.
• Every household will decrease their car journeys by one / week.
• Increase the use of public transport
• Promote car sharing

Rutland Data:
RCC will have a lot of data regarding current levels of bus use, cycling, walking etc. There will also be data from the Future Rutland Conversation summary reports.

What will success look like?
1) Increased bus user numbers (RCC gets regular data on this).
2) Increase in people going by foot or bike into the town centres if they live on the outskirts. (Could possibly monitor car park occupancy but this may be skewed data e.g. we do not know the origin of the car!) Data collection by individual climate action groups – share via the network
3) Decrease in the number of private cars – tricky one this but again see 2 and I would suggest a long-term ambition
4) See car share schemes become established and working effectively

What’s in it for me?
1) Feeling great! Fresh air and exercise will help with maintenance of a healthy mind and body.
2) Increased demand for buses will a) protect existing bus services as well as b) provide an excellent business case for increasing services. This will mean that for those for whom cars are not an option their opportunities for freedom and independence will have significantly increased.
3) Greater increase in demand will be reflected in ticket prices. (This one I would need to check – I have made a logical assumption – dangerous!!!)
4) Decrease in air pollution
5) Improved sense of emotional wellbeing through increased sense of community through car – share schemes and travelling with others on local transport