All bids made to any investment priority must consider climate change as part of their application. The council’s ambition is for North Yorkshire to reach net zero emissions by 2034 and carbon negative by 2040. Bids should therefore consider mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions), adaptation (preparing for a changing climate) and supporting nature, which are the main themes within North Yorkshire Council’s Climate Change Strategy.
Bids should demonstrate to what extent they will deliver climate responsible actions by meeting these three themes:
Mitigation
- please consider greenhouse gas emission reduction measures from the outset. Reducing emissions should be a priority for everyone involved in the project
- bids should consider the energy use reduction and greenhouse gas emissions during the project’s lifetime from planning and procurement to operation and completion
- think about the availability of affordable low carbon transport infrastructure and enabling public transport nearby - consider promoting active travel (cycling/walking), car sharing and electric vehicle usage
- ensure any buildings involved in the delivery of your project are energy efficient and consider moving to low carbon heating such as air source heat pumps and renewable energy technology - for new builds, consider bio-based construction techniques
- try to reduce waste produced by your project and reuse and reuse products where this is possible
- enhance carbon storage by implementing soil management and vegetation (trees and hedgerows) growth effectively
Adaptation
- ensure your project is prepared for extreme weather events both now and in the future - for example global supply chain disruption and health impacts that will become more intense and frequent due to climate change
- new and existing buildings should be designed to respond to climate risks such as heatwaves and flooding
- deploy effective water resource management and natural water retention measures within proposals
Supporting Nature
- bids should support and improve the local natural environment - including connecting habitats
- air and water quality impacts should be considered
- bids should consider the implementation of nature based solutions in their operation- these can be used to enhance the local environment by reducing carbon emissions, increasing carbon storage, adapting to climate change, improving local biodiversity