CN28: A round up of 2024
It’s that time of year for celebrations and reflection, so here’s a round up of 12 steps made towards CN28 this year!
🏡 1,000th home retrofitted as part of the Greener HousiNG programme
In January, the Greener HousiNG project reached a key milestone, with over 1,000 homes that are difficult and expensive to keep warm receiving energy-efficiency upgrades in the latest part of a retrofitting scheme. Around 13,000 energy-efficiency improvements have been made since the council launched Greener HousiNG in 2012. The aim of the scheme is to help both social tenants and private homeowners to reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions.
Using grant funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the European Regional Development Fund and with the support of the Midlands Net Zero Hub, a range of upgrades have been made to homes across the city to improve their energy performance.
These include what are known as ‘fabric measures’, such as insulation and new windows, and renewable technologies like solar panels and air-source heat pumps. Residents targeted through Greener HousiNG are those who are likely to be struggling with their household bills. The retrofit schemes are helping the council reduce instances of fuel poverty while working towards becoming a carbon neutral city by 2028.
💡 LED street lighting programme completed
In March the LED streetlighting upgrades across the city were completed. Through a £7m grant from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, street lights in all the city’s wards were replaced with new, energy-efficient LEDs. Beginning in July 2022, LEDs were installed ward by ward until they were all completed this year. The new LED streetlights are more energy efficient which will help support the goal to make Nottingham carbon neutral by 2028. They will also help the Council save money by using less electricity and having a longer lifespan.
🚲 The Workplace Travel Service helps businesses go greener
Over the past two years Nottingham City Council’s Transforming Cities-funded Workplace Travel Service has has helped 87 local businesses and organisations.
So far the Workplace Travel Service has:
- Worked with 87 local businesses and organisations to support them with either 100% or 75% funded improvements
- Awarded more than £800,000 in grants to enable the installation of green travel measures, including EV chargers, bike shelters, pool e-bikes and more.
To find out more about the Workplace Travel Service visit their website here.
💚 Broad Marsh Green Heart opens
In September Nottingham celebrated the opening of a brand-new green space in a key milestone for the wider Broad Marsh regeneration project. The new green space is a place to enjoy nature with 38 trees, 34 of them newly planted, plus areas of colourful planting, a new marsh pond area, two rain garden areas and several footpaths and places to sit.
A diverse range of trees were planted to help make sure that as many of the trees as possible can cope with and survive potential disease or extreme weather. Varieties including Acers have been planted which will add beautiful autumn colour, while other species that can cope better with the wet conditions around the marsh such as Willow and Alder have been added.
The Green Heart is the latest step in the plans to regenerate the area, following on from the radical transformation of Collin Street from a three-lane traffic choked road to a peaceful pedestrianised area with a playground in front of the new Central Library, as well as the new Broad Marsh car park and bus station.
More recently, a £3.4 million grant from the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has been secured to continue demolition of the former Broad Marsh shopping centre, to make it ready for regeneration.
🚶♀️ Nottingham ranked one of the best cities in England for active travel
Also in September, Nottingham City Council was ranked as one the highest performing local authorities in a Government review of active travel infrastructure and support. Active Travel England – the government’s executive agency tasked with making walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice for everyday trips – published its updated active travel capability ratings for local authorities. Nottingham is one of just six local authorities to achieve a 3 rating, putting it among the top councils. All 80 local authorities outside London took part in the process.
🌍 CN28 Annual Review published
2023-2024 represents the fourth year of implementing the eight-year citywide action plan to deliver the shared ambition to make Nottingham the first UK city to be carbon neutral by 2028. In 2022, Nottingham produced 1.122 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a decrease of 4.4% from 2021. Emissions are therefore once again on a downward trajectory, but are still higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, after which the lifting of restrictions saw a 5.9% increase in carbon emissions.
Since 2005, emissions from Nottingham city as a whole have reduced by 46.6%, but more action is required before the carbon neutral by 2028 target can be met. You can read the latest annual review here: CN28 - Our Progress
🚲 Cross city cycle route completed
In October a major scheme to connect safe cycling routes in the city centre with wider improvements for cyclists and pedestrians was completed. This takes riders and scooters safely out to BioCity and Pennyfoot Street around the busy London Road roundabout. Significant improvements have been made to the Fisher Gate and Pennyfoot Street junction with pedestrian crossing facilities, plus a diagonal cycle crossing.
More opportunities for safe cycling means more people will be able to choose their bike instead of their car for short journeys, which will help to reduce Nottingham's carbon footprint from transport.
⚡ Harvey Hadden solar project approved
A £400,000 solar panel project at Harvey Hadden Sports Village will help move Nottingham City Council towards its carbon neutral 2028 target. To help push the city further towards the goal, an existing solar panel canopy in Harvey Hadden’s car park and a roof-mounted solar PV system will be improved. The centre, which features a 10-court sports hall, gym and a 50-metre swimming pool, accounts for almost five per cent of the Council's annual energy consumption. When completed, the project will save 53.1 tonnes of CO2 annually, and projected savings are in the region of £3,659,980 in electricity and £315,907 in gas over 30 years. It will be funded through the Salix Recycling Fund, which provides ring-fenced funding in the form of a conditional repayable grant.
🐟 Colwick Fish Pass opened
November saw the country’s largest fish pass opened on the River Trent at Colwick Country Park, allowing coarse and migratory fish such as Salmon and Eels to reach their spawning and feeding grounds. The £12 million Environment Agency flagship project means the public can also enjoy viewing the fish pass from the viewing platform and learn about the fish and other wildlife in the area.
💻 Tech recycling scheme pilot
Did you know your unused laptops, tablets and smartphones could be a lifeline for someone in need? Whether it’s helping a child with their homework, allowing someone to apply for a job, or keeping families connected, your old devices can make a real difference.
That's why Nottingham City Council partnered with Recycle Your Electricals, Reconome, and Good Things Foundation on a pilot project to encourage Nottingham residents to donate their unused tech and give it a second life, with drop-off points at Libraries and Leisure Centres open until 31st January 2025:
- Bilborough Library
- Clifton Leisure Centre
- The Dales Centre
- Djanogly Community Leisure Centre
- Harvey Hadden Sports Village
- Wollaton Library
Find your local drop off point here.
If your device can’t be reused, it will be recycled so the materials will live on. Find out more here: https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/nottingham-tech-donation/
👏 Over 300 tonnes of CO2 saved by Green Rewards users
Since the launch of Green Rewards in October 2021, users in Nottingham City have logged individual actions that have resulted in over 300 tonnes CO2e emissions being avoided. With prizes including vouchers kindly donated by Nottingham Playhouse, Lush Nottingham and Romanos Caterers, amongst others, residents using the platform have not only been encouraged to take on new sustainability actions but have been rewarded for their efforts too.
Not part of Green Rewards yet? You can sign up to Notts Green Rewards here: Home
📉 Nottingham City Council's emission reduce by 21%
Nottingham City Council has undertaken significant work to ensure their emissions continue to decrease, such as decarbonising the council’s fleet vehicles and installing renewable energy to council owned buildings. Between 2021-22 and 2022-23 the City Council saw a 21% decrease in emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3). Emissions from waste were also down by 42%, mainly due to reduced volumes of waste and more efficient recycling during the year.