A consultation is seeking views on the level of the Isle of Man’s interim greenhouse gas reduction target that once agreed must be achieved by 2030 to help tackle climate change.
The Island has committed to reach net zero by 2050 – which is the point where emissions from human activity are kept to the levels absorbed by the natural world.
Worldwide action is accelerating to limit global warming and combat rising sea levels and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and storms.
The consultation outlines two options that focus on the high emission sectors of energy, heating, transport and land use/food production.
The first would set a reduction target of 35% on the Island’s 2018 levels, which could be achieved through reduced electricity generation emissions and the existing trend in reducing transport and heating emissions.
The second more ambitious target of 45% is in line with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendation and received broad support from the Manx public in a climate change consultation in August 2021.
The new consultation provides indications of the sort of actions and their benefits which would enable the targets to be met and asks the public to choose their preferred option by 21 February.
Daphne Caine MHK, Chair of the Climate Change Transformation Board (CCTB) said: ‘The level at which we set our interim target will indicate the Island’s ambition to help tackle the global threat of climate change, and can bring about material, reputational, financial and social advantages for the Island.’
The consultation also highlights some changes that will happen over the next 10 years regardless of climate action, such as the replacement of the electricity generation infrastructure which will come to its end of life soon, and the growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market, in line with the UK’s rapidly accelerating sales.
Expected changes include increased uptake of home energy and heating efficiency, and environmental work such as peat restoration and blue carbon projects.
Daphne Caine continued: ‘The Board has recommended the 45% option, which would include adopting new technology and low carbon options more rapidly, such as EVs and heat pumps, which are actually cheaper to operate than their predecessors and we expect their purchase prices will become more attractive as the global market for these products grows.
‘I would urge Island residents to take a look at the consultation and give us their feedback in order to inform the climate action plan that we must bring before Tynwald in March.’
The commitment to set an interim target by 1 April 2022 aligns the Island to the landmark Paris Agreement which the UK recently committed to extend to the Island.
It is also a requirement of the Climate Change Act which commits the Island to be net zero by 2050.
People will be able to find out more through a series of events by the Climate Change team in the coming weeks and paper copies of the consultation are available all libraries.
Public events:
- 31 January - Net Zero Drop In at the Sea Terminal, 12pm-2pm,
- 3 February - Net Zero Webinar – electricity generation, Teams (online), 7pm – 8pm
- 7 February - Net Zero Webinar – heating decarbonisation scenarios, Teams (online), 7pm – 8pm
- 9 February - Net Zero Webinar – interim targets, Teams (online), 7pm – 8pm
- 10 February - Net Zero Drop In, Noa Bakehouse, 12pm-2pm
- 10 February - Net Zero Talks – Transitioning to carbon neutrality, Noa Bakehouse, 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Further event details will be released through the Net Zero Website.
