Mapping out the route to net zero was never going to be straightforward, with hugely challenging variables such as emerging technology and ageing infrastructure.
COVID-19 has skewed our short-term planning, but through an extremely difficult time, a window in which to potentially achieve important change has emerged if local authorities dare to be bold.
In the 18 months since the first local authorities declared a climate emergency, we've seen a groundswell of good intent. Some authorities such as Oxford City Council are confidently ambitious, others are working out where to start, but all need to consider pragmatic steps from here to net zero.
A plan to get to this point should build in flexibility and focus on a short, medium and long-term change, with some immediate quick wins and intermediate milestones. It's a complex job: you can't slash emissions without factoring in how local infrastructure will remain resilient and what shape adaptation needs to take.
Data will play a critical role in achieving net zero and it is an area local government needs to grasp – what energy is used and where is crucial to understanding where we can pull carbon out and replace fossil fuels with renewables. Data enables plans to be baselined and benchmarked, giving accurate assessments of what has had impact and where performance needs better management.
Getting to this position requires work in several key areas: increasing energy efficiency, asset rationalisation, more efficient use of materials and resources, offsetting and changing behaviours. It is in a couple of these areas where the current lockdown presents an opportunity.
Lockdown has seen quieter roads and more people cycling as part of their daily exercise. How can this be embedded to encourage more active and sustainable transport modes as we resume work? There's a risk that concerns over social distancing could see a return to use of private cars. Local authorities could be asking themselves: are there enough protected cycle routes for newer, but less confident cyclists? In the short-term, can traffic lanes be coned off for cyclists – and can we keep these in place longer-term? Of course, in the mid-term, net zero will in part be achieved through the transition from petrol and diesel to electric and possibly hydrogen powered vehicles, but we can do a lot now to speed up modal shift.
The new normal we're facing may also lead local authorities to re-think the structure of their bricks and mortar estate. As budgets are revisited, do assets need to be rationalised – how expensive is it to keep inefficient old buildings going? With interest rates so low, there is a window to invest in energy efficiency measures.
While these immediate interventions can bring some quick wins, genuine and sustainable change will be achieved through a longer-term, holistic approach. It is here that innovations such as district heating schemes need to be considered, with bodies such as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority already building this into its future, working out how heat generated in one place can be reused used to heat somewhere else.
A focus on net zero is a big of ask of local government dealing with a major crisis, but it could also see us emerge stronger and more sustainable.
Robert Spencer is AECOM's director of sustainable development
